Avatar: The Last Airbender  Book 4: Air
by myoathkeeper
Summary: What does Avatar Aang do now?  What happens to the Airbenders?  Where is Zuko's mother?  Do Katara and Sokka return home?  My continuation of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender Series" - starts from where "Book 3: Fire" left off.  All shipping is canon.
1. About the Story: Foreword

_**Avatar: The Last Airbender**_

_**Book 4: Air**_

_**About the Story/Foreword:**_

**Warning!: WALL OF TEXT – READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!**

_This always seems to happen to me whenever I'm upset about something. It happened to me when I was obsessed with _Twilight_ (no longer – I kicked the habit – lol), after I finished Cassandra Clare's _City of Ashes_, and it's happening to me now, after watching the finale of Avatar's Season 3, _Sozin's Comet_. My sister and I had seen the whole series before, back in 2008, but because we were horrified at the live-action remake of Season 1 by M. Night, we decided to watch the entire cartoon series over again as a cure to the eye-sore we were forced to watch for two hours at the theater one afternoon (WTH – 5 bajillion Earthbenders to move _one_ rock?). But when the series was over, I couldn't help but think, "Nooo! It can't end there!" – couldn't help but think about the fact that, even though it was a sufficient, impactful ending to the series, so many questions were still left unanswered, so many things still left in the balance that it might take a whole other season to leave me totally satisfied. Such questions as (without revealing anything about the following tale my mind has spun), "What happened to Azula? Where is Zuko's mother? What will happen to the abandoned Air-Temples now, with no Air-Nomads left and the war finally over? What will Toph's family think of her adventure? Are there animal Waterbenders? What kind of implications does what the Lion Turtle taught Aang, have on his role as the Avatar? And, doesn't Aang still need help mastering all the elements?" So, as my mind rang with these questions and as my sister and I basked in our collective sorrows (again) about the end of one of America's best-made cartoon series, she turned to me and said, "You know what time it is?"_

_ "Time to eat our weight in chocolate?" _

_ She paused, reflecting. "That too, but what _I'm _talking about is… fan-fiction!"_

_ I shook my head. I didn't want to get mixed up in another fan-fiction tale – especially after my story "Gravity," that I can no longer look at without shuddering. Besides that, I was afraid of totally destroying a series that touched me on many levels: humor, the balance between good and evil, the nature of familial relationships, and even the importance of innocence and childhood. How could I possibly compare with that? Moreover, extrapolating on the series may very well come out bland-sounding and ineffective. Without the genuine threat of the Fire Nation to unite the Aang-Gang (AKA, Team Avatar), what or who would be the antagonist of the story – the external conflict? It would end up like "Aladdin and the Return of Jafar" – an unnecessary sequel to a movie that was already perfect the first time around. _

_ But it was too late. Goddamn my sister because the seed was already implanted in my mind – I really think that she entered my dreams and placed the idea there and it slowly festered (I blame this on _Inception_)! That night, I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if there was a new season, if all the questions still ringing in the mind at the end of _Sozin's Comet_ WERE answered… And before long, a story began in my mind – a story, not so much about the external battle of good and evil, but the internal battle within each of us – if, when we are faced with the situation, whether we can make the right decision even if it means taking the hard road. The story itself, I realized, was more of a character-analysis than anything else, but don't get me wrong, there's still going to be battles and action, I'm sure! ;D _

_ Granted, this is THE HARDEST thing I've ever written fan-fiction for. Several problems presented themselves immediately: mainly, the fact that I was writing what I thought would be the continuation of the series, a _television_ series, as it would look as a narrative. I had no reference point to draw from, like I did from _Twilight _and _City of Ashes. _Having those books available, it was easy to copy the style and feel, and, therefore, easier (for me) to write the fan-fic. Furthermore, on TV, you can concentrate on everyone simultaneously – the camera reveals the action and dialogue of a scene _as it happens_, and, therefore, you get everyone's emotions and can imply what everyone is thinking easily and quickly… Unless I was to write a screenplay, this would be nigh impossible to do in a narrative. Yes, I could write in the third-person omniscient, but I didn't for a couple reasons. One, to concentrate on everyone's thoughts and feelings in any one scene (especially one involving everyone in the gang), would be, not only taxing for me to write, but for you, the readers, to follow. Two, the omniscient viewpoint, I felt would be too awkward and disjointed – in effect, I would be trying to sound like the TV show but failing because reading and imagining something on paper is a very different experience than watching it on TV. Finally, the last problem I encountered before I sat down to write was a stylistic one: pretty much, my style is quite unlike the style and the atmosphere of the Avatar series in general. The Avatar tone is a very light, humorous, and sometimes uplifting one that I am unaccustomed to (it is, technically, a "kid's show"). I usually deal in the dramatic, dark, and introspective (at least I did in my creative writing class last semester). I thought to myself, "How could I possibly pull of the correct tone without sounding too forced or serious?"_

_ I was surprised though when I started writing. As a writer, I realized I had to take certain liberties with the show in order to translate it into writing, even though, initially, the concept of doing so concerned me. I discovered the best POV was third-person, limited – connecting with one person instead of all was much better than the jilted omniscient or a very un-Avatar-like first person (I mean, who would sit there and talk about their struggles anyway – except, maybe Sokka, who I suspect enjoys the sound of his own voice. XD). Most chapters, I think, will be from the POV of Aang or Zuko, who were the main characters of the series, but I do expect some to be from Katara's, Sokka's, and Toph's, as well as a new character, who's going to be very important to the story. Additionally, the tone and style of my writing sort-of fixed itself along the way, mostly because of the characters themselves who, by that point, I knew so well and loved that I could hear and see them talking in my head. The dialogue came easily while the descriptions of places took on a more adventure-like feel than a dark or –cough- romantic one. . ._

_ So, without further ado, I present my version of Season 4 of _Avatar: The Last Airbender_. This last book is entitled _Air _and, based on all the information I've gotten about the Avatar cartoon sequel taking place 70 years later, this will introduce some plot elements which may or may not be referenced in _Avatar: The Legend of Korra. _Plus, we already had books _Water, Earth, _and _Fire,_ and it always irked me that they never finished with the last element! Anyway, in__ keeping with the series, each new chapter is an "episode" and I'm going to try to see if I can make the Book about 20 episodes long (I have no idea if I'll accomplish it, but here's to trying!). Before I start each episode, I will indicate whose limited POV we'll be in. _

_ Anyway, hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!_

_-myoathkeeper _

_(AKA, Kinara or Kin)_


	2. Episode 1: Hawks and Messages

_**BEFORE READING: **__(For those who have not read the Foreword) This take on _Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book Four: Air_, will be set up as closely to the actual TV series as possible (thus, all the shipping is canon). Each new chapter will be an "episode" and there will be about 20 episodes total. The story will be written in third-person limited POV and, depending on the episode, whose mind we're focusing on will be different. Today's episode will be focused on __**Aang**__. Anyway, please enjoy the story – I appreciate comments/critiques before favoriting – anything at all helps me grow as a writer! _

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own the _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ franchise – it belongs solely to its creators, Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon and its affiliates._

_**Episode 1**_

**Hawks and Messages**

It was hot in Ba Sing Se.

Not as hot as in the Fire Nation – nothing could compare to the way the sun seemed to kiss the Earth itself, bringing forth hot volcanoes and a thick, tropical humidity that, when combined, seemed to cook you from the inside out. The only place worse was the Si Wong Desert. The desert was not only haunted by a dry, mesmerizing air but by memories that were better left alone. In fact, as far as Aang was concerned, if he never visited that arid place again, it would be too soon.

But it was summer and the aftermath of a victory and a war a century too long. Already a month after Ozai's fall at Wulong Forest and the festivities at the Earth Kingdom's capital had not subsided. Suki and Ty Lee had returned to Kyoshi Island (to Sokka's disappointment) to organize their own activities and to make sure that the city had fared well at the end of the war. But Aang was sure that whatever Kyoshi was doing, it was not as crazy as in Ba Sing Se. Green and gold banners with the insignia of the Earth Kingdom were hung from every home window. Other, more fearless families draped flags along their balconies with a symbol uniting the four nations. Despite everything that had happened, Aang still saw many people, both young and old, vandalizing the flags – drawing giant "X's" over the Fire Nation insignia or, as Aang watched once in passing, a kid around the same age as himself doodling a giant, angry, cartoon face of Ozai. Aang had mixed feelings about it all – twice he stopped himself from yelling at people, "It's different now!" when he caught them in the act. At first, he wasn't sure why – until he saw the three swirls indicating the Air Nomads in the bottom right corner and realized that, even for him, time was the only way to heal the wounds of the past.

Aang knew Zuko noticed the way many people still regarded the Fire Nation, but, if it affected him at all, he didn't show it. Aang suspected that Zuko knew as well as him that years of violence and war from the Fire Nation made trusting them difficult for most people. But Zuko's years of banishment had made him uncannily patient and calm, something that many had not expected from the new Fire Lord. The thought made Aang beam – proud to call his once arch-enemy a friend.

Today was no different from any other that month. It was hot, made sweltering from the crowds of people in the street. Merchants shouted from under overhangs, offering fried dough, tofu-curd puffs, mangos, papayas, moon peaches, and bite sized-pieces of Creeping Crystal… which the merchants kept having to destroy by Earthbending if they became too large. Kids laughed in the streets as they played with streamers and tiny toys of Aang that made him blush whenever he saw them. Other children played hide-and-seek between abandoned Fire Nation tanks while musicians played songs of battle, reunion, and loss on the tsungi horn for spare coins amid the distant crashes of the inner walls of Ba Sing Se. The walls, once marking the districts off within the city, were being collapsed by a team of Earthbenders in order to unite Ba Sing Se once and for all.

The whole commotion was nice – for the first two days. Now, it was just too much. Aang disliked the putrid air of the too-large city, the walls surrounding him, and the group of people who seemed to appear behind him and follow him every time he stepped outside. Every day that he spent in the Earth Capital solidified Aang's awareness of the differences between Earth and his birth element, Air. As much as the Earth Kingdom liked permanence, enclosure, and steadfastness, the Air Nomads liked freedom, open spaces, and clever thinking. Already Aang missed the days flying on Appa and the nights sleeping on the grass amid his friends. So much had happened in such as short time and now his entire world had changed – _again_. And although he knew that he needed to think about his future, he pushed such tedious thoughts away until absolutely necessary; instead, forcing himself to enjoy the respite he had with his friends for as long as possible.

So, as much as Aang disliked the heat and activity of Ba Sing Se, he hated staying indoors all day more. After convincing the gang, plus Zuko's girlfriend Mai, to join him for a stroll outside of Iroh's teashop, the group wandered down the rows of merchants and artisans, examining their trinkets and tools of the trade.

"Hey Toph, look at this!" said Aang, holding a miniature-sized Toph up for her to examine.

"What is _wrong _with you guys?" Toph accused. "I'm _blind_." She waved her hands in front of her face to accentuate her point. "Why does everyone seem to think I can see and respond to phrases like 'Look at this!' and 'Did you see that?'?"

Aang turned red in the face – again, taking for granted his friend's gift of seeing through Earthbending. Toph was amazing in every way possible, making it easy for everyone to forget that she couldn't see.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. Well, it's an action-figure of you and you're all buff and tall. And you're sort-of leaning forward with your arms outstretched, like you're going to move a giant rock!"

"No way!" Toph said, her face alight.

Sokka leaned over Aang to get a closer look. "Hey, what does this do?"

A small brown lever protruded from the back of the Toph figurine which Sokka reached over to push. Just then, the figurine-Toph's mouth opened to emit a loud shrieking noise.

"Ahhhh!" Aang and Sokka screamed as Aang dropped the figurine and grabbed onto Sokka just as Sokka was grabbing onto him.

"It's my sonic-wave voice!" Toph proclaimed excitedly, taking the fallen figurine from the ground and examining it eagerly with her fingers. Reaching into her pocket, Toph slammed down a couple of coins on the merchant's ledge, next to other figurines of Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph. "I'll take one!"

The group continued down the street, Sokka and Toph running from booth to booth to examine their wares.

"Katara – I need more money," Sokka said sometime later, striding to her side.

"What happened to the last stash I gave you?" Katara replied, indignant. "Please don't tell me you spent in all on another Sokka-doll!"

Sokka quit scrutinizing the figurine of himself in his hands, one with warrior wolf's paint on and a boomerang held at the ready, to look at Katara. Smiling sweetly, he stuffed the doll inside his shirt with about four others.

"Ah – no, course I didn't!" Sokka said.

Katara rolled her eyes, exasperated. "I can't believe you! We don't have an endless supply you know! No more money for you, that's it!"

Sokka's eyes got big and watery as he begged. "But doesn't the Earth King –"

"Despite what you think, the Earth King is not going to keep giving us money just because we're his 'friends', especially if we're spending it on ridiculous things. Go find other ways to spend the last of what you have."

Defeated, Sokka walked away with heavy steps.

They continued throughout the marketplace, Katara purchasing a new blue skirt and items for the apartment, Toph a pair of metal dice, which she grew accustomed to throwing in the air and catching, Aang a straw _kasa _hat for the heat, Zuko a leather strap for sharpening swords, and Mai a silver choker carved with the design of an intricate eye, while Sokka decided it was wise to spend the last of his share on food. But soon, the heat became too much as it simmered in the air and caused the sweat to pour from their foreheads.

Sokka walked forward slouching and covering his distended stomach. "If I eat another lemon curd-puff I'm going to explode."

Katara grinned. "Maybe, but afterwards, you'll feel better and you'll just want to eat again."

"Ugh, it's so hot! Katara, can't you use your Waterbending-powers to create like a giant maelstrom of water that just continues for days on end?"

Katara didn't answer, just stared at him, eyebrows furrowed. Sokka frowned and grabbed Aang by the shoulder.

"Aang – what about you? Why don't you go all Avatar-state and _swoosh_ the air around creating a giant breeze that drops the temperature like 20 degrees lower?"

"Like this?"

Aang leaned forward and outstretched his hand, creating a whirlwind of air that sent Sokka flying backwards – right into the group of people following the gang that day. Several yards away, his hair windblown and eyes huge, Sokka groaned.

Katara and Toph burst out laughing, while Zuko and Mai just smirked. Aang rushed to Sokka and offered him a hand.

"Oh, sorry – I didn't mean to blow you that far."

"No – no, don't be sorry," Sokka exclaimed, half-dazed. "That's the first time I've felt cool all day! Maybe I should draw another schematic for Teo's dad using Airbenders to create some sort-of air-cooling device! It'll be just like the submarines we made!"

"Yeah Sokka," Aang said, while helping Sokka to his feet. "Only problem is, there's no Airbenders left, except me."

"Oh yeah, well, I was just thinking aloud and… sorry Aang," Sokka mumbled, rubbing his head.

"It's okay Sokka. It doesn't bother me too much anymore." Aang glanced at Katara, who was already smiling at him, and felt blood rush up all the way to his ears. Avatar Roku said that girls would get easier with age, but even though Aang was a year older than when he first met Katara, and even though Katara was finally acknowledging that they had a sort-of relationship, he still couldn't make sense of the jumbled emotions in his heart. He suddenly felt compulsions to give her flowers, to play the tsungi horn for her, to lean over and hold her hand… but he didn't know which to do first or in what order or whether she would find it appropriate for him to do it at all. Plus, what would Sokka think? Aang keep sneaking looks over at Zuko and Mai, hoping to get some tips – but their relationship seemed to be less about words and action, and more about physics. Little was said between the two of them, but they were very open about their feelings – considering the way they moved around each other, like they were magnetic – and also because they were sucking face about every five minutes. Nobody said anything about it – Aang preferred to look away or at his feet when this happened. In fact, he had studied his feet so thoroughly, that he noticed that one big toe was slightly bigger than the other. Or, maybe it only looked that way because he was squinting, he couldn't tell. But in any case, he couldn't ask Zuko for help. Instead, he just settled for Katara's occasional soft kisses on the cheek or the forehead, or those rare kisses on the lips that felt as if his heart would leap out of his chest.

"Well, what are we going to do now? I barely have any money left, and this heat is killing me," Sokka complained.

"Why not forget about the heat?" Aang suggested.

"Although _you_ can separate yourself from the physical world, Twinkle Toes, we're not so lucky," Toph said, frowning. "If the ground get's any hotter, my feet are going to burn."

"That's not what I meant. Why not play a game of airball, but without the air. Just our feet and hands so that it's fair. That'll get our minds off the heat!"

"That'll just make it wor-," Sokka began, but Toph interrupted. "Sounds great! Can't wait to beat you pansies!"

Aang turned toward Zuko and Mai. "Is that okay with you guys?"

Zuko nodded. "Sure."

Mai shrugged. "Whatever."

Ten minutes later, they six of them were walking into a wide, rectangular courtyard not far from Iroh's tea shop. Houses surrounded the arena, creating little traffic and a quiet atmosphere. Toph marched to one end while Aang did the other, and together they made identical goal posts out of earth.

"Rules are simple," Aang said. "Whoever gets the ball through the goalpost gets a point. The team who reaches ten points first wins. Also, you can't hold the ball for more than ten seconds, or that's a penalty and the other team gets the ball. Lastly, there's a goalie for each goalpost. Um, I think that's it. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Sokka said, pointing over his shoulder. "What about those guys?"

"I'll take care of it," Zuko said, turning and walking to the group of kids, adults, and one old man with a walking cane in the shape of an upraised badger mole, that had been following them all day.

He stared at them for one long minute, giving favor to the scarred, left side of his face. The group stared back, at first excited, and then nervous as Zuko continued to say nothing. Then he hunched over, eyes blazing, and said, "Leave."

"But, can I -," one girl with soft green eyes started, but Zuko interrupted.

"Now!" he yelled.

They scattered like fox antelopes being chased by a saber-tooth moose-lion. The old man limped after them with his cane saying, "Wait for me!"

"Impressive," Mai said, when Zuko returned.

"Now, we just need a ball!" Aang said as he formed a swirling ball of air with one hand and layered it with dirt with the other.

"Toph, could you harden this?" Aang asked, extending his hand with the dirt-covered air-ball.

"Um, okay." Toph lifted her hand and the Earth solidified around the air.

Aang smiled and turned to Katara. "And could you freeze this please?"

She gave him a look, but, using some water from the bottle tied to her waist, she froze the earth together.

"Zuko, some fire?" Aang handed him the mud-ball.

"What for? It's just going to melt."

"Yeah… but the freezing made it more solid-like and the fire will make it flexible! I think that it'll only work if we use all four elements … unless you want me to do it."

Zuko shook his head and outstretched his hand, the tips of his fingers alight. Aang moved the ball evenly around the fire until he was satisfied. Then he threw it to the ground. It hit, but it bounced back and did not break.

"Sweet," Toph approved. "Now time to pick teams!"

Aang sashayed over to Katara and began, "Hey, Katara, can I be on –" before Sokka interrupted.

"Girls versus boys!" he shouted.

"That's not fair!" Katara accused. "You guys will be totally outmatched!"

"No – we have the Avatar and the Fire Lord! What's better than that?"

"A metal-bender, the Fire Lord's girlfriend, and the Southern Water Tribe's only Waterbender. _Beat that!_"

"Besides," Mai added, walking over to Katara, "Zuko gets all skittish when he fights girls. He's not much of a match."

"I do not!" Zuko yelled. "I've never possum chickened out of a fight before!"

"Um, guys, this is not a fight…" Aang noted in a small voice.

"Oh, really? Then hit me!" Mai challenged, ignoring Aang entirely.

"What? I'm not going to hit you!" Zuko said stunned.

"See. You're a possum chicken."

"Just because I don't want to hit you doesn't make me a possum chicken! And I'll prove I have nothing against fighting girls when we take all of you down in the match of your life!"

"You're on!"

"You're going doooooowwwwwn!" Sokka exclaimed, grabbing Aang by the shoulder.

"But, Sokka, wait, I want to…" Aang started, but stopped as Sokka began dragging him to the opposite side of the courtyard.

"Group huddle!" Sokka yelled massing the three of them together in a circle next to the goal post.

"Okay, here's the strategy – Mai and Katara are the more agile ones' and Katara's technique is good. Toph's strong, but since she can't see, we're going to want to keep the ball in the air whenever she's around or she'll smack it out of our hands whenever we're near her. She'll predict our moves. But we got speed and strength on our side," Sokka smacked Zuko and Aang's shoulders in a gesture of comradeship and then popped his head up to look across the arena to the girl's team. "Looks like Mai's going to be goalie."

Aang stuck his head up and turned to see Toph and Katara placing themselves at staggered positions behind the midline.

"What are you doing? Don't let them see you!" Sokka hissed and pushed Aang's head back down.

"Hey, I was just peeking!" Aang mumbled, irritated. _Sokka had peeked. _

"Like I was saying, we have speed and strength – I'll be goalie –"

"Why you?" Zuko asked. "Maybe Aang should do it – if he's fast enough, he can deflect every shot coming our way."

"No – we need Aang on the field. He'll be able to get through Katara and Toph's defenses better than you or I could. And you'll come in for the final kick. If strong enough, Mai would have difficulty stopping it. It's perfect!"

"'Kay, I'm in," Aang agreed.

"Doesn't sound foolproof to me, but we'll try it," Zuko said, shaking his head.

"Great, break!"

The three of them shifted into position. Aang blew his bison whistle and two minutes later, Appa and Momo landed in a side street, taking up the whole space. Aang ran to them.

"Hey buddy," he said, rubbing Appa's head. "We need a referee – could you and Momo do the job?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Zuko said, mouth open.

"Momo, can you release the ball?" Aang said, giving Momo the mud-ball. Momo chattered back at him and grabbed the ball, looking at it closely.

"That's right," Aang nodded, racing back to his position, Momo on his heels. Aang rolled his pants and his shirt-sleeves up and threw aside his hat, saying, "Let's do this."

Momo chittered something that sounded official, and threw the ball up into the air in the middle of the two teams. And the game began.

Aang ran to the ball, sidestepping a tackle from Toph that seemingly came out of nowhere. He jumped, his fingertips millimeters from the ball, when another hand reached there first.

"Too short," Katara jeered, twisting around Aang before he had time to recover from what just happened.

"Outta my way Twinkle Toes!"

Toph pushed Aang aside like he was nothing but a twig. Indignant, Aang rose to his feet and practically flew to the other side of the field after Zuko, who was hot on Katara's heels.

"Katara! Katara! Over here!" Toph shouted near the goalpost.

As soon as she heard Toph, Katara dropped the ball to her feet, and began kicking it back and forth as Zuko ran on ahead between her and Toph.

"Toph, move over more that way, would you, a little more, good," Katara said, dribbling the ball between her feet and pointing with her fingers. "Good! Stay right there!"

Confused, Zuko moved over to where Katara was indicating Toph to move and peeked over his shoulder. He realized his mistake as soon as Katara kicked the ball to where Toph was standing the entire time.

"Every time!" Toph yelled, exasperated as she caught the ball between her feet and turned towards Zuko. "I'm BLIND."

"Hey – that's cheating!" Zuko accused, whirling towards Toph.

"Better luck next time, O Fire Lord," Toph said, smacking the ball toward the goalpost.

Soon, Sokka was running towards the flying ball, yelling at the top of his lungs, "WATER TRIBE!"

But Aang was already there. He caught the ball in a leaping bound, spinning in the air and then landing lightly on his feet. Sokka fell on his face.

"Aaaaaaang! I had it!" he complained.

"Sorry Sokka," Aang said, turning and dashing towards a dazed Katara.

"Soon I'll be taller than you!" he said defiantly as he danced around her and then sprinted to a lounging Mai across the field. He could hear Toph asking, "What was that about?" and almost feel Sokka shrugging and then saying, "Playful banter?"

Aang slowed when he was halfway across, to allow Zuko to catch up. He heard his heavy footsteps behind him. Peeking over his shoulder, he noticed Zuko flanked by both Katara and Toph, trying to throw him off balance. Kicking the ball ahead of him, Aang turned and sprinted towards Toph.

"Watch out!" Aang yelled.

"Wait, wh-," Toph began, trying to move around Aang but, misjudging the distance, tripped over herself instead.

"YES! WOOOO!" Sokka screamed across the field, waving his arms in a dizzying manner above his head.

"Wooo," Mai said, twirling a finger in the air.

Free of Toph on his left, Zuko spun away from Katara and bolted for the ball ahead. Katara tried to dash after him, but Aang cut her off. Grimacing, Katara moved as if to twirl around him, but Aang predicted it and blocked her way. Before he knew it, Katara and he were dancing – Katara, trying every way possible to slip past him, and Aang parrying every move.

"Hurry up Zuko!" Sokka shouted across the field.

Aang snuck a glance behind him to see Zuko and Mai locked in an eternal staring contest. Zuko dribbled the ball between his feet and Mai held herself at the ready.

Just then, several things happened simultaneously. Zuko tilted sideways and smacked the ball towards the goal, just as Toph smashed into him from the side and together they flew to the ground. Katara had taken advantage of Aang's brief distraction to dive under one of his arms. And just as the ball was going to make it into the goal, Mai dove and hit the ball back, which Katara caught on the rebound.

"Awww!" Sokka and Aang moaned in unison.

The game continued as the sun dipped below the western horizon of Ba Sing Se. Long shadows from the surrounding buildings darkened the girl's side of the field, leaving the boy's side bright and Sokka squinting into the falling sun. The air began to cool and the calming sound of cricket lizards began to fill the air. Appa could be heard yawning from the side of the field. Momo sat on one of Appa's enormous paws, his head flicking back and forth as each team continued to steal the ball from the other, the score still zero to zero.

"Stop!" Toph screamed, panting.

Everyone froze, Aang in mid-run with the ball raised above his head, Zuko ahead of him, waiting for the pass, and Katara reaching over to trip him.

"At this rate, nobody will be able to make ten points. I'm tired, and my feet can't take much more of this. Let's just say, first one to make a point wins, okay? Plus, I'm _starving_."

"Sounds good to me," Aang agreed, and, as if those were the magic words, he unfroze and threw the ball into Zuko's outstretched arms. Katara unfroze, but lost her balance and fell. Toph began jogging over towards Zuko, but Aang began making his way over to block her.

"Don't even," she snarled and pushed him away.

Zuko made another try at the goal, but Mai deflected again, yawning. "You're going to have to do better than that Zu-Zu," she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Ugh! Don't _call_ me that!" he yelled, sprinting to the backfired ball.

But Toph was there first, grabbing the ball from the ground and rolling under Zuko's lunge.

"See ya!" she said, saluting, and running after Katara, who was already halfway down the field.

Zuko struggled back to his feet, but Aang was already there, moving like wind down the field. But it wasn't going to be enough – Katara and Toph were already three-fourths of the way there. It was up to Sokka… who was not paying attention. With one hand shading his eyes, Sokka was staring up at the sky with his mouth slightly agape.

Katara dropped the ball and kicked it to Toph, who was running up behind her, ready to hit the ball with full force.

"SOKKA!" Aang and Zuko shouted together.

Toph smacked the ball with a sound like thunder. The ball leaped from the ground and sailed so fast through the air that it whistled.

Time seemed to slow as Sokka woke from his momentary daze and turned. His eyes widened as the ball whizzed centimeters from his nose and continued on through the goalpost and down the street behind it.

"YES!" Katara cheered and ran to Toph, who was punching the air in victory, to give her a high-five. Mai was smirking at the other end of the courtyard.

"Ugh!" Aang moaned, slouching forward.

Zuko smacked his forehead in aggravation. "Sokka! What were you doing? It was right there!"

Sokka didn't seem ashamed of defeat however. He was squinting up at the sky eagerly and pointing.

"Hawky!" he shouted. "It's Hawky – he came back! I knew you'd come back Hawky, just like boomerang!"

Everyone turned to look. Sure enough, a bird with dark red wings was soaring above the horizon and approaching their group from the west.

"Wait," Toph said uncomfortably, "If that's Hawky, that means…"

"Sokka, you can't be sure that's Hawky – it could be any bird," Katara pointed out.

"It's Hawky all right, I just know it!" Sokka said, reaching out his arms. "Come on Hawky, come back to daddy!"

Just then four more messenger hawks appeared in the sky. Their wings spread wide, their brown and red feathers flapping, they glided swiftly towards the gang in the courtyard.

"Hawky?" Sokka said softly, doubt in his voice.

"I told you," Katara muttered.

"That's a lot of birds," said Zuko. "What would they want with us?"

Aang shrugged, eyebrows furrowed. "I guess we'll find out."

The gang watched as the birds descended into the playing field and spread into different directions.

"Hawky, it's you!" Sokka rejoiced, holding out his arm for the bird flying toward him to land on.

"That's not Hawky. He's brown and his feather-moustache-thing is shorter," Katara stated, approaching Sokka to observe the bird more closely. "But it looks like this bird has a message for you."

"I think they have messages for all of us," Zuko said as a different bird landed on his arm.

"Eeek! This feels weird, get it off, get it off!" Toph screamed waving her arms, as a red hawk landed on her shoulder and started nipping at her ear. "I can't see flying things!"

"I'll get it Toph."

As Aang and Mai received their own birds, Katara walked over to Toph and extended her arm to the bird, which hopped on and then bent down for her to retrieve the message strapped to the pouch on its back.

Aang examined his own bird, a young, soft brown one with orange eyes. It also bent forward for Aang, offering him the message inside. But, for some reason, Aang was hesitating. Something told him that he was not going to like what the message had to say. Dread filled his heart. He did not have enough time – only a few weeks to himself, some of the best weeks of his life, and already it was time for him to return to reality.

"Hey guys," Aang said, his voice cracking somewhat.

Everyone looked up at him. Katara was handing Toph her message, Zuko had broken the seal on his note and had started reading it, Mai was fiddling with the pouch on her bird, and Sokka was holding his letter in his hand.

"What is it Aang?" Katara asked.

"Um, why don't we all read our letters back at your Uncle's tea shop Zuko? That way, we can all share what they have to say and get something to eat," Aang suggested.

Zuko shrugged. "Fine by me."

Mai had finally opened the pouch on her bird, saying, "Yeah, sure." She grabbed the message and shooed the bird away. As if that were the cue, Zuko's and Sokka's birds took off into the sky in the directions that they had just come from.

"Hawky! Come back!" Sokka cried as his bird flew higher into the sky.

There was a caw from the bird on Katara's arm. He turned his head toward Sokka, flew over to him, and then settled on Sokka's shoulder. He pecked gently on Sokka's ear.

"Hawky? It is you!" Sokka smiled, stroking Hawky's back. Hawky rubbed his head against Sokka's cheek.

"If I'm not mistaken, I don't think I remember you guys ever having a messenger hawk in your group," Zuko noted, frowning.

"He was only in the group for a couple of days, until Toph and I used him to send a message to her family. In fact, Toph, that letter is from your family," Katara said.

"Oh," Toph murmured, her face contorted into something between confusion and apprehension.

"Let's go back to the tea shop," Aang said, finally summoning the will to withdraw the letter from his bird and releasing him into the air. Then he stuffed the note into his pants pocket.

The group made their way back to Iroh's, Appa and Momo preferring to make the journey by air. Just as the sun made its final descent into the horizon, the birds split into five different directions, disappearing into the edges of last light.

* * *

The Jasmine Dragon was closed for the day, its doors locked and its tables and dishes scrubbed clean. Oil lamps lit the interior, offering a soft, warm glow as Iroh placed a hot pot of oolong tea in the middle of the long table they had made by pushing two smaller ones together. Appa had been forced to sit outside, but Aang had given him several mangos and papayas to soothe his insatiable stomach. Now, Aang and Momo sat at the table, Momo devouring one pastry after another set in the middle of the table, and Aang having trouble finishing just one. It sat in the middle of his plate, picked at it until it was nothing but bits of bread and jelly.

"So it seems that you each got a letter," Iroh said, as he squeezed into the table between Zuko and Mai. Mai gave Zuko an annoyed look, but Zuko narrowed his eyes and shook his head slightly. Aang knew why – the guilt he felt for betraying his Uncle was still clear on his face. Even something as simple as asking his Uncle to move a seat he could not do.

"Yes we did," Katara said. "Aang wanted us to read them here."

"Very wise of you, Aang. Who doesn't want a good cup of tea while they're reading?" Iroh said warmly as he sniffed his tea and took a sip.

"I'll go first!" Sokka said as Hawky jumped off his shoulder and picked at a pastry. Momo started to chitter aggressively, eyeing the messenger hawk with his beady green eyes.

Sokka broke the seal on the letter and scanned through it, his face brightening.

"It's for you and me, Katara! It's from Tribal Chief Arnook himself!"

"Really? Let me see!" Katara said, extending her hand across the table towards him.

"Un-uh!" Sokka replied, holding the letter above him and wagging a finger at Katara, who was frowning at him. "I'm not finished! It says that some of Arnook's people are leaving the North Pole and traveling to the South Pole to rebuild the city 'to its former glory'!"

"No way!" Katara exclaimed.

"_Still _not finished," Sokka huffed. "Also, it says that dad and Pakku have already made it to the South Pole and are leading the reconstruction effort, but that they could use another leader who knows the 'Southern ways' and 'the last Southern Waterbender' to assist with the efforts! That's us Katara! _That's us! _They want us to lead the re-building of our people!"

Aang felt his stomach squirm as he watched Katara's face shift into an ecstatic smile like Sokka's. He looked down as his plate, planning to smush the pieces of leftover pastry with his thumb, only to find Momo there with his face smeared with purple jelly.

"Lastly," Sokka said, "And this is the _best_ part! In fact, I'm just going to read it to you: '_For your father Hakoda's outstanding courage leading our people against the fire nation and for your assistance in helping the Avatar and in the Siege of the North, I have named Hakoda Tribal Leader of the South and you, his children, as his tribal ambassadors. I expect that the two of you will succeed and uphold the values of the Water Tribe and bring in an era of peace that this Earth has not seen in a century. Good luck, and may fortune follow you._'"

It was silent for a time, everyone struck dumb by this revelation. Eventually, the silence was broken when Momo tilted over a bowl of fruit and Hawky pooped on the edge of Sokka's plate.

"Wait," Toph said. "If your dad's the Tribe Leader, does that make you two like, prince and princess or something – like Sokka's old girlfriend?"

"No," Katara shook her head. "Sokka and I are Tribe _Ambassadors_. They're very different."

_No they're not_, Aang thought bitterly. _They both mean one thing…_

"Congratulations," Zuko said. "You guys will make a great pair."

"We appreciate your blessings, Fire Lord," Sokka said, smirking.

Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Aang, are you okay?"

Aang snapped his head up from contemplating the swirling design on his plate. Katara was looking at him with concern painted in her ocean eyes, and for a second Aang lost himself in the depth of them before shaking his head and forcing a smile. "I'm great – yep, never better. I mean, what could be better than the two of you being ambassadors? I mean, that's pretty cool – and Ozai's defeated and everything so a lot has to be done and you guys would definitely be the two to help and stuff and –"

"Aang, you're rambling."

Aang stopped and gave another nervous smile, "Haha – yeah, guess I was. I just meant to say 'Congrats'."

After a brief pause, everyone returned their eyes back to Sokka and Katara.

"Sokka, when does it say we have to leave?" Katara asked.

"As soon as we can."

Iroh nodded pensively. "The Northern Water Tribe has been caught up in tradition for centuries. Having the two of your representing the Southern Water Tribe will be a change for the better I think." Iroh turned to Zuko. "What about you, nephew? What does your message say?"

Zuko sighed and reached into his sleeve to pull out a scroll, the royal seal of the Fire Nation already broken.

"I started reading it… I'm not sure if I want to go on," Zuko said, thumbing the parchment.

"Sometimes the truth is hard, but it is always more rewarding to walk in the light of truth than to be shadowed and lost in lies."

Zuko grimaced, but opened the letter and began reading it to himself. When he was done, he rolled the scroll back up and jumped somewhat when he noticed everyone staring at him.

"Well, what did it say?" Iroh asked, his eyes wide and curious and his face about two inches from Zuko's.

"That I am to return to the palace. My father grows restless in his cell and Azula is worse than ever. Apparently, she keeps asking for me. At any rate, my 'coronation vacation' is over."

Something flashed in Zuko's eyes that Aang didn't quite understand, but Iroh seemed to. He placed his hand on Zuko's shoulder and nodded.

"What about you Mai?" Zuko asked.

She looked sideways toward him, and then around at the rest of the group. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your 'ceremony', but I already read my letter. It was short and boring, so you didn't miss much."

"Well, what did it say?" Zuko prodded.

"That my father is now governor of Capital City and that he is hosting a celebratory feast and would like his only daughter to join him," said Mai bluntly. "It's just more political idiocy that I don't very much care for."

"But if you were to go with a positive attitude, it might not be as bad as you make it out to be. It's all about perspective," Iroh said, sipping his tea and leaning back in his chair.

Mai rolled her eyes, grabbed a pastry from her plate, and took a savage bite.

"Um, Katara, could you read my letter for me?" Toph asked, extending the letter to Katara sitting next to her.

"Sure Toph," Katara said, smiling and unfurling the note. "Are you sure you want me to read it aloud?"

Toph shook her head, but said, "Just read it."

"Okay." Katara coughed before reading, "'_Dearest Toph, _

_We received your letter a few weeks ago but it wasn't until the defeat of Ozai that your father and I finally knew what to say to you. Your letter arrived as a shock, but we were so happy to hear that you were safe and well. We love you so much and are so sorry for our delay in responding back. _

_Now the war is over, in part because of you. You have no idea how proud we are of you and your accomplishments. You have redefined what it means to be a Bei Fong – someone tough, determined, and loyal. In the past Toph, we know we have wronged. We never thought you would be more than our little baby girl, blind and in need of protection. And when we discovered your Earthbending prowess, it only reaffirmed our stance that you needed to be kept under control. We sent Master Yu and Xin Fu to return you to us and it was we who said that the Avatar kidnapped you. Your father and I are ashamed for what we have done to you and your friends. We're so sorry Toph. Please know that what we did we did out of love for you and to protect you, but now we know that you were ready to take the world by the horns, even though we couldn't see it. Toph, we were the ones that were blind, not you. _

_If you find it in your heart to forgive us, we have something planned for you. Your father and I are going to announce you to the community as our daughter and close friend of the Avatar. No longer will you hide away as you've done before, but be honored for your feats as a member of the Bei Fong Family. A feast will be held in your honor as soon as you arrive home and take your rightful place here, at home with us. _

_We miss you very much Toph and we wait eagerly for your return home. _

_Sincerely, _

_Lao and Poppy Bei Fong_

_P.S: Your messenger hawk is very friendly and we've been keeping him at our estate and in good care. We've named him Shan Yuan._'"

"_Shan Yuan_? That's not his name – it's Hawky!" Sokka exclaimed as soon as Katara finished. "Right Hawky?"

Hawky stared at him for a moment and Sokka said, "Just because you like it doesn't mean I have to!"

"Toph, are you okay?" Katara asked, concerned.

Aang watched as Toph quickly wiped a single tear from her face and say, "Yeah. It really sounds like my parents have changed. Well, I hope they have – I don't want it to turn out like last time."

"Last time it was a fake letter Toph – a trap," Aang said. "It's always better to give people a second chance and the benefit of the doubt – right Zuko?"

"Yeah – but you could all stop rubbing it in my face," he said, grimacing as the rest of the gang grinned.

"I think – well, I think I'll go then," Toph said. "Just for a little while, I mean… then I'll…" her voice trailed off uncertainly. Aang knew exactly how she felt. After that, what then? Would they all ever be together again? Flying on Appa, practicing bending and swordsmanship, throwing beach parties, camping under the stars, speaking in terms of inside jokes that only the five of them could understand? What would happen to all of that? The bonds made with these people couldn't have merely been a coincidence or out of convenience for the purpose of defeating Ozai… It couldn't have been – right? They'd be together again – crossing the landscape in search of new and exotic places just like old times – right? Or, was this the end of "Team Avatar" forever?

Aang found himself staring absently at his empty plate again, which Momo had fallen asleep on, and had not realized how silent it had become until Iroh burped and broke him out of his reverie. He looked up and saw that everyone's attention had been moved to him.

"Oh, heh-heh," Aang said sheepishly, reaching into his pocket. "Guess it's my turn then."

It was heavy. The material felt like leather, soft as the inside of a worn shoe, but tough enough that even the tusks of a hog monkey couldn't tear it apart. Aang weighed it thoughtfully while sniffing the outside… like fresh sown Earth and also something else… ash?

There was a loud crushing noise as a rock smacked under Aang's chair and sent his face flying forward into his plate were Momo slept. Momo woke with a startled screech and ran across the table up Katara's arm. Toph was crossing her arms and frowning impatiently.

"Alright, alright – I'm opening it!" Aang said quickly.

"Thank you," said Toph.

Aang snapped the seal, a series of circles interlaying each other, which he did not recognize, and carefully rolled the scroll open on the table. Inside, the flowing calligraphy of the script made Aang pause to admire it before asking, "Should I read it aloud?"

"It's up to you Aang," Katara responded.

With a deep breath, Aang began to read:

"'_To Avatar Aang,_

_From the leaders of the city of Asa Aki:_

_General Ida of the Fire Nation_

_Captain Kitan of the Southern Water Tribe –_'"

Sokka interrupted quickly. "Hey! It's Kitan! Man, the stuff we used to do together…"

Katara smacked him in the head. "Shut up Sokka. Continue Aang."

Aang did as he was told, "'_and Governor Mingli of the Earth Kingdom _

_Avatar Aang, _

_The citizens of Asa Aki are abuzz with news of the defeat of former Fire Lord Ozai and the wisdom and power you possess. After accomplishing so much in a single year, Asa Aki now calls you to its aide in solving a particular crisis. Only you can resolve the matter and cause little bloodshed in its wake. _

_Asa Aki has been a peaceful, rural city for many years in the Northwestern part of the Earth Kingdom before the Fire Nation attacked and took the city as a colony at the beginning of the war. For a hundred years, the Fire Nation had ruled the city, until a few months ago when blue-sailed ships reached our shores. Warriors from the Water Tribe recaptured the city from the Fire Nation and changed the city into a War Port. But now that the war is over, the ruler of our city is now in question. _

_Citizens from every nation reside within our humble city's borders. Tensions are high and they bicker amongst themselves as to who should be the rightful leader. Quarrels occur in our chambers everyday and if this mess is not settled soon, our city will be divided forevermore. _

_Avatar Aang, we ask for your assistance immediately – only you can help us._

_Sincerely,_

_The Leaders of Asa Aki'."_

Everyone was silent for a time as they processed the words of the letter. Aang was grateful for this – his mind was a jumble of words and phrases that he could not seem to put in the correct order. What was it that they were asking him to do? Who was the note from again? After rereading it about four more times was he finally able to make sense of the clutter in his mind.

"Your first test as the Avatar," Iroh said eventually, when Aang thought the silence would stretch on into infinity.

"I thought my first test was defeating Ozai," said Aang.

"No – that was inevitable for any Avatar. This is your first test as Avatar _Aang_ – the first test to distinguish what kind of Avatar _you_ are, because, whatever you decide to do with that city, will change it forever," Iroh said, stroking his beard.

Aang started to sweat and his heart was racing like a rabbit frog. Then Iroh broke into a huge smile and shrugged. "Of course, what do I know? I'm not the Avatar."

Aang smiled tentatively and nodded. "Yeah – this shouldn't be too bad – definitely not like having to beat Ozai. I can do this. All they need is a little Avatar wisdom to settle their differences and then things will be back to normal!" He winked, suddenly feeling more confident.

"Well," Katara said stiffly. "I guess this means we'll all be splitting up – again."

"Did you think it was going to be all happy-go-lucky forever? Sooner or later we were all going to have to return to our real lives," Zuko said, crossing his arms and looking sideways at the floor. "Even if," he added quietly, "you don't want to."

"Hey, come on guys," Sokka said. "We'll all see each other again."

"He's right," Iroh nodded. "Each of you has been given a task that only you alone can do. But it is not the end. No, it is only the beginning of a new adventure."

"I feel like I'm watching an extremely dramatic play," Mai said, yawning. "Look, it's not a big deal. You'll all go away for awhile, get wrapped up in your new lives, and, with time, you'll forget why leaving each other was so traumatic. It's just part of life – know that you'll all feel better in no time."

Everyone turned to her in disbelief.

"Mai!" Zuko hissed. He turned to her, eyeing her sharply, before shaking his head and rising to his feet. "Look, we're all tired. We'll talk about the rest in the morning and then prepare to leave when we have too. Uncle, Mai and I are going to go back to the apartment."

Iroh gave a huge yawn. "Oh yes, a good night sleep is what we all need. Plus, I have to open shop first thing in the morning." He got to his feet and stretched, joints cracking. Then he collected the plates scattered on the table and put them in the back room.

"I guess we should go back to our apartment too," Sokka said, rising from his seat as well, Hawky on his shoulder.

The rest of them stood, flexing before sharing their goodnights with Zuko, Mai, and Iroh. Then the seven of them exited the shop, Iroh turning and locking the door on his way out. With final waves, they parted for their two different apartments.

* * *

Sweat drenched his face as he ran. Heat swelled and pulsated like a living animal. Where the heat was coming from, he did not know, nor did he want to find out. The darkness around him concealed the truth.

"Aang!"

He turned. It was Sokka, his wolf's tail done up and his warrior paint on. He held his club in one hand and his boomerang in the other, but despite his advances on the shadowed foe in front of him, he couldn't hold out much longer. Something about his tired face and this limp on his left leg signaled that he didn't have much time.

"Sokka!"

He ran to him, but it was as if time were slowing. His legs felt like bricks and every step he did make only furthered the distance between him and Sokka.

The shadowed figure hit Sokka in the leg with one deft move from a dark sword. Sokka screamed, and fell backwards, disappearing into darkness.

"No! Sokka!"

He continued to run forward, despite how heavy his legs felt, until a light appeared out of the corner of his eye. Twisting around, he saw Toph inside a small wooden cage. She was clutching a bar with one hand and banging on another with her other hand.

"Help! Aang, get me out of here!"

"I'm coming Toph!"

He switched directions, moving his arms ahead of him, trying to send tunnels of air currents her way, but nothing happened. It was like there was no air at all.

"Ahhhh!" Toph shrieked.

He watched in horror as the prison shrinked around her, coming ever closer until she scrunched herself up into nothing but a little ball. And then she, too, disappeared to darkness.

"Aang, over here!"

Shaking, he turned again.

Zuko was battling another foe, more sinister than Sokka's. The black foe dodged and slid effortlessly past Zuko's raging fire blasts and streams. Zuko moved out of the way as the foe counterattacked with blue fire. Irritated, the foe started to move its arms in giant flowing circles, an electric light passing between its fingertips. Zuko planted his feet on the ground, ready to deal with the attack when it came. The foe paused, then shot the electric energy from its fingertips with deadly accuracy at Zuko.

"Zuko – watch out!"

Zuko caught the lightning, entering through his two fingertips, but he could not release it. And before he knew it, Zuko was on the ground, smoke and sparks rising from his body. The darkness overtook him.

"Zuko!"

He ran forward, but stopped when he noticed a new figure in the shadowed foe's path. His breath caught in the middle of his throat.

"Aang!"

Katara stood, her arms outstretched at the ready and a determined expression on her face. The shadow foe flipped its hair back, before propelling forward on a jet of neon fire. Katara whipped her arms around as invisible sources of water sprang forth from her fingertips and slammed into the enemy. But it didn't stop. Then, she conjured a giant wave, her arms circling up and behind her, and sent it after the enemy. But it didn't stop. Desperate, Katara froze water about her fingertips and sent flying ice daggers at the enemy. But it didn't stop. And then it was upon her.

The shadow took hold of Katara's hands and bonded them behind her. Then slowly, the shadow walked behind Katara, and raised two fingers, which ignited with that same blue fire, to her neck. A small light seemed to shine from below and the shadow's face was revealed.

"Give it up, Avatar, there's no hope for you here," said Azula with a malicious smile.

"Let her go!" Aang shouted back, attempting to kick the earth up beneath her, but nothing happened.

"Give up!" Azula shouted, louder this time and an almost maniacal look to her. She pressed the fire closer to Katara's neck and shmane screamed, tears pouring from her blue eyes, like little waterfalls.

Aang fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably, tears filling his own eyes.

"Yes, yes!" he cried. "I give up – please, please just let her go! I'll do anything!"

Azula grinned. "See, Avatar, you are nothing without your friends."

And she pressed the blue torch to Katara's neck…

And darkness engulfed the world.

Light and a dank smell to the air. Aang blinked his eyes, still wet and streaming from before, and got to his feet. Something slushed beneath him and he looked down to see himself ankle deep in swamp water. Insects fluttered across the reeking pool and unidentifiable animals called throughout the forest of vines and fog.

He recognized it immediately – the Foggy Swamp where he saw Toph in a vision for the first time. But, why was he here now?

Someone laughed behind him.

Aang jumped out of the swamp and landed on the bog-like shore, inspecting his surroundings. But he could see nothing in the mist.

Another laugh. Aang whirled again and saw a boy, perhaps a year or two younger than him with his back turned. His brown hair was ruffled and laid back slightly with a green bandanna across his forehead. He was in a pair of brown shorts and an unkempt light green tunic-like shirt with holes and tears in the sleeves. His feet were bare.

He laughed again and then began to run.

"Wait!" Aang called after him, taking off in his direction.

If wind could run, it would be like him – swift, fluid, and _fast_. Aang had trouble keeping track of him. He ran up trees, swung from vine to vine, and danced and twisted from branch to branch, laughing in delight the whole way. He twisted and spun in the air like he was floating, weightless. He extended his arms behind him and took off from each ledge to the next with a spirited sort of fearlessness that brought a smile to Aang's lips. Aang knew the feeling, and he laughed along with the boy as he twisted too in midair, completing aerial feats that no one could ever compete with.

What seemed like hours later, the boy slowed and stopped on a high branch dangling with moss and lichen. Aang stopped close behind him.

The boy laughed again and said, "You're the only one to ever catch me."

Aang reached his hand forward, intending to turn the boy around so that he could see his face, but his field of vision seemed to fade at the corners. And just as the boy was about to face him, the world disappeared out of existence.

* * *

Aang was sitting upright in his bed, his arm outstretched before him. Sweat drenched his forehead and he was panting hard. Dropping his arm, Aang fell backwards into his bed, squishing his eyes shut and curling into a ball. But the images were still there, imprinted on the back of his eyelids like a painting... Sokka falling, Toph in her cage, Zuko sizzling on the ground, Katara's burned neck, Azula's manic smile, and the boy's flying acrobatics. Aang rubbed his eyes and sat back up in bed. Sighing, he looked out at the night sky from his window, the moon a nice crescent shape and the stars twinkling. The night was serene and smelled like moonflower blossoms. Jumping out of bed, Aang threw on his clothes and went out to the porch in the front of the apartment.

Cricket flies buzzed and the moonflower patches around the porch lifted their petals toward the crescent in the sky. Appa was lying with his legs spread out and snoring in the middle of the front yard. Aang looked up into the navy sky once before sitting on the ground cross-legged to meditate.

An hour passed before he felt the vibrations in the ground. Toph had taught him much about using his Earthbending to sense the world around him without seeing. He was getting better and could now distinguish between his friend's footsteps. He knew who was coming. Rising to his feet, he laid his head on the porch railing and waited.

"I couldn't sleep," he mumbled into his folded arms on the railing as the door opened and her fluid footsteps made her way to him.

"I couldn't either," Katara said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. Even through the fabric, Aang felt that same weird tingle whenever Katara put her hand on him.

"I thought we had more time," Aang said. "More time to think about our futures, I mean. But, I guess I always knew we didn't." He turned to face her. Her hair was loose and her eyes bright in the waning moon. "You know, I didn't even unpack – I mean, everything I own is in one bag, like I knew this was all temporary."

"Aang –"

"And I had this messed up dream where everyone was dying and I couldn't save them because we were all split up… And if that actually happened I don't know what I'd do because –"

"Aang, stop," Katara murmured, putting a finger up to his lips to silence him. "You're starting to act like you did before the day of the Eclipse. You're imagining things – those were just dreams, not real life. And stop holding your breath, your face is turning red."

Aang released the air in his mouth in a burst that blew Katara's hair behind her in a wild mess.

"Oh, sorry!" Aang said, his face turning red again.

Katara smiled somewhat and raked her hair back into place with her fingers. "It's okay Aang, now just take a deep breath and relax."

Aang did so, watching as Katara leaned forward on the porch railing, draped her arms over, and looked up at the moon.

"I also woke up from a nightmare, Aang, but I think it was quite different from yours."

She looked down at the moonflowers below, her own blush rising to her cheeks. Aang was suddenly curious.

"Maybe talking it out will help you feel better," he suggested.

She blinked and nodded. "Do you remember when Azula hit you with the lightning bolt?"

"Yeah – that's, um, kind of hard to forget."

Katara smiled awkwardly, but continued. "That was one of the scariest moments of my life… because I-I thought I lost you. And for days after, I didn't even know if the spirit water worked – but I still healed you anyway because I didn't want to… I didn't want you to…" She bit her lip and looked away.

Aang smiled and reached out to take her hand. "Katara, it's because of you I'm alive and here now. And for that, I'm grateful."

She choked out a laugh and patted his hand. "Yeah, well, my nightmare was pretty much about that."

"Mine wasn't that different," Aang said. "Except Azula was trying to burn you in mine."

Katara gave out another choked laugh. "She really was pretty crazy wasn't she?"

"Yep."

There was a long pause as they both stared out at the night sky, until Katara said, "This won't last forever, you know. I thought about it when I woke up from my dream. We'll see each other. In fact, as soon as you're done solving the problems at Asa Aki, you can come see Sokka and me. As ambassadors, I could only imagine we'll be traveling a lot. We could pick up Toph along the way and always stop by the Fire Nation once in awhile to see Zuko."

"Yeah," Aang said, feeling a little better. "Plus, I think I'm supposed to do something important in Asa Aki. After my nightmare, I had a vision of running through Foggy Swamp after this little boy. Maybe it's another person I'm supposed to meet, like Toph was."

Katara grinned. "Maybe."

Aang gazed at the patch of moonflowers below him and reached down to pick one.

"They're no use in delaying," he said then, gazing at the delicate white petals of the flower. "I think I'm going to leave this morning. The sooner I leave and get everything sorted out, the sooner I'll be back… but, um, I, well, wanted to give you something before I left. Like a goodbye-present."

He extended his arm with the flower towards her. "Katara, you're one of the smartest, fun-est, prettiest, most powerful girls I've ever met. And I wanted to let you know that I love –"

Before he could finish, Katara had her arms around him and her lips pressed against his. Aang wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer, his heart soaring higher than it ever did while flying on Appa. Seconds later, they pulled apart, both breathing heavy and flushing. Grinning, Aang looked down at the flower in his hand, the stem now slightly bent from where Katara had crashed into him. Struck by a bout of inspiration, he leaned in and kissed Katara lightly on the cheek. Then, he pulled her hair back on the left side and slid the flower behind her ear.

She smiled shyly. "Thanks Aang."

"I'm going to miss you Katara."

"I'll miss you too Aang."

And together, they leaned in to hug, just as the front door burst open. The two of them jumped back quickly.

"What are you two doing out here?" Toph asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Nothing!" Aang said, shaking his hands in front of him, his heart hammering in his chest.

"We couldn't sleep Toph," Katara said. "So we came out here."

Toph sniffed. "Well, that makes three of us."

"You couldn't sleep either?" Aang asked.

"No, I kept thinking about… weird stuff," she said, her voice trailing.

"About your parents?" asked Katara.

Toph's eyebrows furrowed and her lips trembled. "Should I go? I don't know if I want to leave and –"

Toph turned abruptly just as Sokka, Momo, and a flying Hawky banged through the door. Sokka squinted and shook his head. "Heeey, what are you all doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep," said Aang. "Wait, you couldn't either?"

"No, I slept fine until _somebody_ ate all my meat!" Sokka said, turning an accusing finger on Momo. Momo blinked up at him. Hawky gave an angry squawk.

"You were huge!" Sokka exclaimed. "And you were stuffing your face like it was nobody's business!"

"Sokka, Momo doesn't eat meat," Aang said. "You were probably dreaming it."

Sokka turned back to Momo and sniffed. "I'm watching you."

Momo cocked his head to the side and blinked.

Aang turned and saw the first rays of dawn over in the distance and knew that his time to leave was fast approaching.

"Guys, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be leaving soon so –" Aang began.

"What?" Toph said. "You're leaving today? Why?"

"Well, the sooner I leave, the sooner I'll be able to come back."

"But we haven't even said goodbye yet," Sokka said, mouth agape.

"What do you think _now_ is?" Toph said, frowning. "Look Twinkle Toes, don't get caught up in any shenanigans without us there to get you out of them."

"I won't Toph," Aang said.

"And remember to practice the forms I taught you, especially the 'rising column', you're still putting too much thought into it. And don't fly too long on Appa, because I'm sure even he likes to come down from the air once in awhile. Oh, and –"

Aang walked over and swept Toph into a hug. "I'll miss you too Toph."

And then Katara was hugging them.

And soon Sokka was too.

Momo climbed up on Sokka's shoulder and bounced into the middle of the group. Hawky perched on his head. Appa made a grunting sound in the yard and then his nose was pushed into the middle of them all.

"You guys are the bestest friends I've ever had," Sokka said, sniffing and wiping a tear from his eye, as they all withdrew.

"Yeah," Toph said. "Actually, you guys are the only friends I've ever had."

"It won't be forever guys," Katara said. "We'll see each other again."

Aang looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. "I'll be right back."

A few moments later, Aang returned with his knapsack, glider staff, and a bag of food and water. Jumping up on Appa, Aang tied his bags to his saddle and then slid down to the reins on Appa's head.

"I guess this is it guys," Aang said.

Momo chittered softly and then bounded up to Appa, climbed on his back, and then settled on Aang's shoulder.

"You can come with me if you want Momo," Aang laughed, scratching one of his ears.

"Don't forget us, you hear?" Sokka shouted. Hawky made an accompanying caw to amplify Sokka's point.

"Yeah, or you'll get it from us when you come back!" Toph yelled.

"Goodbye Aang," said Katara, waving.

"I won't forget guys," Aang said, trying to keep himself from crying. "Bye," he said, smiling and waving at them. Then, he whipped the reins once on Appa, saying, "Yip yip!"

Appa groaned and smacked the ground once with his tail before taking off into the air. Aang watched as his friends shrank until they became nothing but little ants in a toy house.

"Okay Appa, we have one more stop to make before we leave," Aang said, patting Appa's head.

Appa grunted and turned.

* * *

Zuko was on the porch to his Uncle's apartment when Appa landed with a thud right in front. One of Appa's paws smushed an azalea bush as Aang slipped down from his head. Momo stayed in the saddle, watching the scene with large eyes.

Zuko had his back to the wall when Aang walked up the porch to see him.

"Aang? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Zuko asked, seeming to recover from his momentary shock, and looking about him.

"Nothing's wrong Zuko," Aang said.

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I'm leaving now Zuko. I already said goodbye to everyone else, but I didn't want to forget you too."

"You're leaving now? Why?" Zuko asked, frowning.

Aang looked at the ground. "It'll be easier this way. If I stay any longer, it'll just be harder to leave you all. But, hey, um, listen Zuko – you really pulled through for us in the end. And you were a great Firebending teacher. So, I just wanted to say 'Thanks' for everything."

Aang extended his hand, which Zuko took. Before Aang knew it, the two ended the shake and were hugging. After a few short seconds, Aang withdrew and looked up at Zuko, who looked concerned.

"Aang, you gave me purpose in life when I had none… and not just the whole capturing you thing. My banishment and meeting you guys was the best thing to have ever happened to me. Anyway, don't forget your training while you're out in the world. You're already a great Avatar…" Zuko paused, sighing. "And, I guess I'll miss you too."

Aang smiled. "Thanks Zuko. That means a lot."

Appa leaned his head in through the porch and licked Zuko from head to toe. Zuko grimaced and wiped the saliva from his face. "But I might not miss that so much."

Appa moaned and Zuko relented. "Okay, fine, I'll miss you too." He patted Appa's head.

Aang laughed. "Please tell your Uncle and Mai 'bye' from me too. You're Uncle makes the best tea!"

"Yeah, okay," Zuko said. "See you some other time you little-wise-kid."

"Bye once-obsessed-with-honor-kid," Aang said as he jumped on Appa. "Okay Appa! Yip yip!"

In one giant leap, Appa rushed up into the air. The sun was completely above the horizon then and the sky was a kaleidoscope of oranges, pinks, yellows, and blues. The air was thick with morning mist and it tickled Aang's face as they rose above the clouds and headed to the west. Once they were high enough, Aang leaned back on Appa and stared up into the endless sky above him – the final stars of night winking out of existence. But then it wasn't the sky after all, but his friends, all smiling and waving after him.

"We're so proud of you Aang," Katara said.

"You can do this," said Sokka.

Aang smiled, closing his eyes and wiping a tear from his eye. When he opened them again, the image was gone and Momo was staring at him.

He laughed and rubbed Momo's ears.

"I know I can," he whispered.

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__Wow, so if you can't tell by now, I'm a pretty verbose writer. -cue sweatdrop- My sister is gifted with brevity, and I ramble on making scenes much longer than they probably have to be. For example, that whole making the ball out of air, earth, water, and fire _probably_ didn't have to happen (nor do I think it's physically possible to make a soccer-like ball in such a way… ._. But hey, I figure it's Avatar – ANYTHING'S POSSIBLE!) – in fact, I was planning for some random village kid to let them borrow a real ball, but for some reason, I thought it was more "Aang" to whip out his own creation, uniting all the elements together. YAY FOR SYMBOLISM. Also, the "airball" game ended up being much longer than necessary as well as the good-bye scenes. Heck, I guess it was hard for me to let go of them myself – I sort of had these big tear-filled eyes on while I wrote these elaborate goodbyes and this pretty cheesy ending… and then when I wrote the part about the group hug, I smiled like a goofball. YES REVEL IN THE WARM GOOEY CHEESE. But, in the end, their separation was going to have to happen sometime – they couldn't always be together forever, no matter how much they (-cough- _I _–cough-) want them to. Mostly, this chapter was a lot of encouraging fluff… but I swear that it will get better. _

_ Now, a few comments on names – I SUCK at them. I have this uncanny ability to imagine my complete character from head to toe, their personality and quirks, _everything_, but can never pick the right name. In fact, I usually call my sister to my aide because she's pretty good at them. Now, for all my original characters (which we have yet to meet yet, but I mentioned them), their names presented an especially difficult challenge, considering that Avatar is based in a world of Asian-influenced names, mostly Chinese. Unfortunately, I have not taken a Chinese class in my life, so I had to google some common names for my Earth Kingdom guy. But, I _have_ taken Japanese, so most of my Asian influences in this fanfic will be based off of their culture (i.e. the _kasa_ that Aang bought at the market). The city of Asa Aki is Japanese that roughly translates to "Autumn Morning" or "Morning of the Autumn". My Japanese training also gives me trouble with spelling, making me inclined to spell "Sokka" as "Sakka" and "Mai" as "Mei", but hey, I will stick with the originals. _

_ I hope that I've stayed in character as much as possible… this is supposed to be my rendition of the next season, if there were to be one. Critiques are open and welcome – anything helps me become a better writer! [Except, don't complain about the shipping – I'm sticking to the ones in the series.] Thank you guys and hope you enjoyed. =] _


	3. Episode 2: Behind the Witch's Eyes

_**Before You Read and Disclaimer: **__This chapter of _Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book 4: Air_, will be from the third-person point of view of __**Zuko **__and __**Azula**__ respectively. Whenever you see a line through the page, please know that there is a point of view switch! If you see this: **8-8**, this means we're in the same POV. Also, I do not own _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ – it belongs solely to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. _

_**Episode 2**_

**Behind the Witch's Eyes**

In a half-forgotten dream, he remembered his mother telling him to "never forget who he was, no matter how things seemed to change." At the time, it seemed like nothing more than a statement, which he promised to immediately. He never realized then how hard it would be to keep that promise. At many points in his life, the promise escaped him completely and he forgot who he was. He lived at the whim of what _others_ told him: _weak, dishonored, banished, stupid, naïve_. It took him years to find himself again, but he did. And he realized, on more than one occasion, that he probably would have been lost if it weren't for someone in particular…

Zuko stood on the porch to his Uncle Iroh's apartment in Ba Sing Se, watching the Avatar disappear into the horizon on his flying bison. He was smirking; the irony was not lost to him. After dedicating three years to finding the Avatar, seeing him fly away from him without so much as a twinge of frustration made him smile. How irritated his old self would have been to see himself hugging the Avatar! The thought made him laugh silently, shaking his head. For whatever it was worth, Aang would be a great Avatar, he thought, even if he was goofy and a wise-guy at times.

He heard the door creak open behind him. He twisted around to see his Uncle standing there, blinking into the first rays of dawn, his hair and beard ruffled from the night's sleep. Yawning and stretching, he turned to Zuko.

"So he's left." It was not so much a question as it was a statement.

"Yeah, he's gone. He told me to say 'bye' to you and that he liked your tea," Zuko said.

"Such a nice boy," Iroh said, smiling. "But, nephew, isn't it a little early for you to be up? Why not go in and sleep some more – soon you'll be home again and sleep might not be a luxury you can afford."

Zuko's eyes narrowed as he stared at the squashed azalea bush in front of the porch. "I couldn't sleep."

His Uncle rubbed his beard, scrutinizing his nephew. "Something troubles you."

"Uncle, can't you come back to Capital City with me? Somebody could take over your shop temporarily while you're gone," Zuko said quickly, spinning to look at his Uncle.

Iroh sighed heavily and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "No, Zuko, I cannot come with you."

"But why, Uncle?" Zuko shouted, his face screwed up in an attempt to keep himself from crying. "You're the only one I trust at home, and I'm going to need your advice. You're not going to want to stay in the Earth Kingdom forever are you?"

Smiling sadly, Iroh said, "Zuko, my time is over. I'm too old for politics and the strenuous lifestyle of the court. My place is here, doing what I love with the last of my years. I have done all I can by you, but it is now your time to rise and rule, not as how your Uncle would rule, but how Fire Lord _Zuko _would. Remember everything that I have told you, and whenever you are in doubt, trust who _you_ are. What does your heart say is the right thing? As long as you wait and listen Zuko, everything will be revealed to you."

Zuko bit his lip and then said, in a strained voice, "Uncle, you've been more of a father to me than my own. What am I going to do without you?"

"Zuko, if you ever need me, know that I am already with you, in spirit." Iroh pointed to Zuko's heart. "Just as all the elements rely and connect together, so, too, do we all connect to each other. And, just as the spirits themselves work in mysterious ways, so does the spirit of the human soul. Zuko, remember that we are connected in more ways than just blood." Iroh patted Zuko on the shoulder and grinned broadly. "And, if you're ever in the mood for some great tea, and the spiritual me isn't doing it for you, you could always come and see me in the flesh – I'll be here waiting for you…," Iroh paused to wipe a tear from his eye, before continuing, "… my son."  
And the two embraced, hugging each other closely for what they felt like would be the last in ages. As they withdrew, smiling and wiping tears from their eyes, the door banged open.

Mai stood in the doorway, in nothing but a burgundy silk robe. "Is there anything in the kitchen besides tea leaves, chocolate, peanut butter, sizzle-crisps, and fried dumplings?" she accused, holding the containers up in her hands.

"Well, I lost all this weight in prison, and I have to put it back on somehow," Iroh said, chortling.

Smiling, Zuko said, turning to his Uncle, "Maybe we should go shopping today – Mai and I do need some provisions before we return home."

Iroh nodded, also smiling, "I'd love that."

8-8

The five of them, Zuko, Mai, Sokka, Katara, and Toph, took the route through the Serpent's Pass. It would have been a difficult, long journey through the pass if it wasn't for Zuko's own Firebending, Katara's Waterbending, Mai's knives, and the pieces of metal that Toph kept throwing around the vicinity when the Serpent began attacking the ship. Toph was frustrated that she was unable to make contact with the Serpent once, so she retreated, held onto a ship pole, and began complaining about the group's last two encounters with the Serpent, while the others fought. But, after about only five minutes, the Serpent left the ship, realizing that maybe facing any ingoing or outgoing ships was more effort than it was worth. And so, the group made it through the pass and out the channel to the western side of the Earth Kingdom. It would take another day until they hit Omashu on the coast, where Katara and Sokka planned to wait for a Southern Water Tribe ship to take them home, while Toph preferred to travel by land the rest of the way south to her home in Gaoling. From Omashu, the ship would head back north to the Fire Nation – to his future in Capital City.

Zuko sat leaning against a stack of crates at the bow of the boat. His head hurt after playing Pai Sho with Sokka for nearly half the day. Despite the fact that his Uncle played it nearly every day while he accompanied Zuko across the world tracking the Avatar, none of his Uncle's skills rubbed off on him. Sick of staring at the colored tiles, he left Sokka, Katara, and Toph to their own devices, deciding instead to watch the drifting landscape.

"You weren't just going to leave me alone with them were you?"

Zuko looked up to see Mai leaning against the same stack of crates as he was. Her arms were crossed, her expression bored, but there was a light in her amber eyes that indicated something else.

"If you're bored Mai, you won't find any respite here," Zuko said sardonically. "I don't think staring at the landscape is your kind of thing."

"Maybe not," Mai said, drifting closer and sitting next to him. "But, then again, I must be crazy, since I'd rather be here with you, watching the landscape, than playing dress up with your friends."

"They're _what_?"

Zuko and Mai peeked around the stack of crates to the middle of the ship, where Katara, Sokka, and Toph were… in an array of different outfits. Sokka was in his fire nation ensemble, outfitted with a beard and moustache, while Katara was wearing the new blue skirt she bought in Ba Sing Se and elaborate makeup, her hair parted to the side and swept up into a loose bun. Zuko watched as Katara forced Toph into a little dark green dress and slippers, which Toph immediately bellowed, "I can't see in these things!" when they were on her feet. Now, Katara was undoing Toph's hair from her bun and attempting to twist and braid the knotted mess into the traditional hair of the water tribe. Toph was hissing and moaning the entire time while Sokka laughed in the corner. Toph silenced him quickly as she pounded the ground with her feet and moved the metal flooring underneath Sokka so that he fell on his face.

"To believe you were with them for awhile…" Mai said, shaking her head. "How did you stand it?"

"Actually it wasn't so bad – except when they decided to go see that play by the Ember Island Players… oh, and when they had a beach party a couple days before Sozin's Comet…"

"Zuko," Mai said, leaning on his shoulder. "You'll come to my father's party, won't you? I'm sure my father will be honored to host the Fire Lord."

"Of course I'll come. I wouldn't let you hate the world by yourself," he said with a small smile.

Mai moved in closer and said, "Zuko, why are you really up here?"

Zuko sighed, staring into the waning hours of daylight. "My mother once told me that I should never forget who I am, but, now that I know who I am, I feel like I'm starting to forget who she was."

"You'll find her Zuko," Mai said softly.

"If my father will tell me." Zuko leaned forward, hands clenching his forehead. "And that's a big _if_. And now, I have an entire country to run and what if I screw that up like –"

Mai grasped Zuko on the shoulder and placed a finger to his lips. "You know, I kind of miss the Zuko who didn't think things through."

Zuko stared at her uncomprehendingly.

She made an exasperated noise and said, "It's nice to have plans for some things, but don't dwell on things that you have no control over. Your thing with your father, mother, and sister will work itself out. And you're already a great Fire Lord, so stop stressing out about it."

Zuko turned to look at her. She only had a slight smile on her lips, but her eyes were alight, revealing more about her mood than her outer expression. He placed a hand on her smooth cheek, tracing circles into her skin with his thumb before pulling her in for a…

"STOP THE BOAT!" Sokka screamed.

Zuko dropped his hand from Mai's face, her lips already parted and ready to invite him in, and jumped up from behind the crates in a rage. Mai toppled over and then stood up too, her face annoyed and her mouth full of her hair, which she spat out.

"Sokka! What's wrong?" Zuko yelled back, staring around the ship for pirates, strange animal boardings, or environment-related hindrances.

"Stop the boat! STOP THE BOAT!" Sokka continued to shout as he pointed eagerly out the port side of the ship. "It's there! Katara, do you see it? It's right _there_!"

"What's there? What are you guys talking about?" Zuko demanded, walking over to where Sokka was standing and straining his eyes to see over to the distant shoreline. He realized with a mild shock that they were passing the Wulong Forest, where Aang had fought his father in one of the last battles of the war. Tall rock formations towered over the land, with scarce vegetation among its crevasses. Black and brown scorch marks scraped the forest here and there where he could only imagine the battle that took place within.

"Sokka thinks that that thing over there is his sword that he lost when he was bringing down some airships with Suki and Toph," Katara explained from behind Zuko.

Zuko squinted and saw a long object protruding from a rock near the shoreline. From this distance though, he couldn't tell if it was a sword or not.

"Sokka," he began. "That can't be your sword… the battle took place a month ago. This place was scoured afterwards for survivors and remaining equipment, you can't really be sure –"

But as if to prove to Zuko how sure he was, Sokka pulled off his fake beard, his shoes, his shirt, and flung himself off the ship.

"Sokka!" Katara screamed after her brother. "You idiot! Get your butt back on this ship right now or so help me, I will _Waterbend_ you back!"

"Relax, Sugar Queen," Toph said, striding up behind her in her green dress and hair that reminded Zuko of Katara's back when he first met her. "Just let him see if that's his sword first and _then _you can Waterbend him back to safety."

About three minutes later, Sokka reached the coastline and pulled himself up onto shore. He raced to the rock with the protruding object and shouted with glee, "It is my sword! Space Sword has returned to me! Almost like Boomerang, except slower!"

"More like _he_ returned to _it_," Katara muttered.

Sokka grabbed onto the hilt sticking up from the rock and heaved. It didn't budge.

"Sokka, just to let you know, we don't pick up deserters!" Zuko shouted.

"Sokka, the ships leaving without you! Hurry up!" Katara added.

"It-won't-move!" Sokka huffed, placing a foot on the rock face and trying to tug it out that way.

Zuko smacked himself in the forehead and raced towards the control room, yelling, "Slow the ship down! Slow it down _now_!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Toph exclaimed, exasperated. She kicked off her shoes and tugged on her green dress, trying to pull it off over her head.

"Toph! What are you doing? You'll rip it!" Katara raced to her side and pulled her out of the dress until she was in nothing but white undershorts and an undershirt.

"Katara, I want you to Waterbend me to Sokka. I can get his sword out of that rock for him," said Toph, bracing herself by the railing of the ship.

Mai laughed. "Oh, this I have to see."

"Toph, are you really sure you want me to –"

"Just hurry up and do it already before I change my mind!" Toph shouted.

Shrugging, Katara said, "Brace yourself Toph, I'm going to slide you to Sokka."

Toph seemed to pale somewhat. "You're going to _what_?"

But before Toph could protest, Katara was sweeping a giant wave over the side of the deck and freezing it before Toph. Then, she extended the wave outward, freezing it into a spiraling path straight to shore. Finally, Katara and Mai hoisted a struggling Toph onto the slide and pushed her over, saying, "Happy trails!"

Toph screamed like a dying animal. Zuko ran to the edge and looked over, only to see Toph sliding down and about the frozen slide, her legs and arms flaying, onwards to shore. Sokka stopped trying to pull his sword from the rock to watch Toph's descent with huge eyes.

Katara flicked her wrist up slightly and the end of the slide moved upwards so that when Toph hit it, she flew wildly into the air and then fell, butt-first into the dirt on shore.

"Toph!" Sokka yelled as he ran towards Toph, offering her a hand. "Are you okay?"

"Okay? _Okay?_ I, a blind girl, just went spinning down a frozen death trap, and you ask me if I'm _okay_?" Toph screeched irritably, shaking as Sokka pulled her to her feet. "Just show me where your dumb sword is before I pummel _you_ into a rock!"

"Hey, I wasn't the one who sent you here!" Sokka protested.

Toph snorted and marched over to the rock with the sword sticking out of it. "Is this it?" she asked.

Sokka nodded.

"I'm guessing the silence means your nodding _yes_," she said, a sour look to her face. She turned, leveled her stance, and thrust her fists into the rock, which broke apart and dropped Sokka's sword with a clang to the ground. Sokka grabbed the sword and then Toph, clutching both on either side of him and rushing partway into the water.

"Okay Katara, could you bring us back?" he shouted towards the ship.

Katara raised her hands above her, conjuring a wave that rose behind Toph and Sokka, picking them both up in its swell. Then, opposite the rest of the small waves moving toward shore, this wave moved toward the boat, taking with it a screaming Sokka and Toph.

"Um, Katara," Zuko said, as he watched the wave near the ship without slowing.

She didn't listen, her concentration on controlling the wave. Zuko grabbed Mai and together they dove away from the incoming wave just as it crashed into the ship.

Dripping wet, Toph and Sokka sat in the middle of the ship, looking like two malnourished cats. Sokka looked around, found his sword next to him, picked it up, and cradled it lovingly in his arms.

"Space Sword! I'm so glad I found you!"

Toph spit out a minnow from her mouth along with a stream of water. "'Oh thanks Toph,'" she said in a mocking tone. "'Thanks for getting my sword back for me!' 'Oh, no problem Sokka, it's not like I _risked my life_, to get it back for you. It was nothing!'"

Before she could say more, Sokka reached over and swept Toph into a hug, saying, "Thanks Toph. You got my Space Sword back for me! And I'll never forget it!"

Toph turned bright red, for once at a loss for what to say.

"Hey, what about me?" Katara asked. "Don't _I _deserve some gratitude?"

"You almost killed us," Sokka said matter-of-factly.

"Ugh! See what I'll do next time you're in peril and you need my assistance!" she cried, storming off. Zuko couldn't help but grin as he helped Mai back to her feet.

Mai wiped the ocean spray from her face and squeezed the water from her ponytails.

"I think you're friends are a little more trouble than they're worth," she said indignantly.

"Maybe, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mai gazed at him and broke into an unexpected grin. "So much excitement over a sword? I haven't been this entertained in ages!"

She laughed and, realizing what she was doing, stopped abruptly.

"No Mai," Zuko said, tilting her face up towards him. "I love it when you laugh."

Leaning in, he kissed her and pulled her closer, so that he could hear her heartbeat drumming through her chest. He loved that too.

8-8

King Bumi stood at the dock of Omashu, waiting for them to dock. Once ported, Katara, Sokka, and Toph debarked, staring up at Zuko and Mai, who remained standing at the top of the plank to the ship.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," Sokka said, somewhat ruefully as he scratched his head. "Thanks for helping me rescue my dad and my girlfriend, Zuko. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you, really."

"Yeah, and Zuko, again, I'm sorry for the way I treated you before. It was… wrong of me. Without your help, I would never have faced my mother's murderer. And, because of that meeting, I might finally be able to move on from that… so, thanks," Katara said with a small smile.

"And it's also nice to know that someone else besides me had a sucky childhood," Toph added, grinning. "Even if you didn't really listen, it was still nice to get it off my chest. Thanks."

"Thank you guys," Zuko said. "It was nice to be included in your group – you guys taught me so much about another side of the world that I never got a chance to see when I was by myself… one of hope and happiness. I won't ever forget that. Thanks, and good luck on your journeys home."

In the back of his head, he knew it would eventually come, but he was still unprepared for it when it did. First it was Katara, then Sokka, and finally Toph who ran up the plank to the boat to hug him. Apparently, the whole hugging business was a kind of tradition with the Avatar's group, before a long separation or when they needed group support. He was still new to it – the first time it happened, he wasn't sure if he was invited into the group embrace, until they dragged him into it. And now, despite his first awkward surprise and tentative pats on the back, he returned the hug, realizing that, although he'd only been one of their group for a short while, he was going to miss them.

They parted, the three of them running down the plank back to a crooked-grinning King Bumi. Zuko had met the White Lotus member back in Ba Sing Se, before they had taken back the giant city. At the time, he thought King Bumi was a little odd, but not as odd as he presented himself now. His grin was punctured with missing teeth, his green robe intertwined with patches of red, blue, and yellow stripes, and his feet were bare. Silver jeweled rings decorated his fingers and atop his head was an elaborate feather hat that seemed to shine different colors as the wind whipped at it. When he noticed Zuko staring at him, he chortled and snorted, before reaching up to thumb one of the feathers of his hat.

"I see you looking at my hat, Fire Lord," he said, cocking his head so that it seemed one of his eyes got bigger while the other shrinked. "These feathers come from the incredibly rare panda-seal-phoenix. They're supposed to be able to bend all the elements, just like the Avatar. Perhaps they were even the Avatar itself before it took on human form!"

Everyone stared at King Bumi as if he'd just sprouted six heads.

"Um, I've never seen a 'panda-seal-phoenix' before," Sokka said, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Nor do I recall them from legend," Zuko added. "Are you sure you didn't make it up?"

"Oh no – they're extremely dangerous! If you were ever to have crossed one, they would have certainly gobbled you up! Nobody's escaped from a panda-seal-phoenix attack before!"

"Then, how is it that _you_ know about them and have panda-seal-phoenix feathers?" Toph asked, crossing her arms.

King Bumi frowned and, after a long pause, said, "I could've made it up."

"Well, then, bye Zuko!" Katara said, waving her arms.

"Bye!" Toph, Sokka, and Bumi chanted together in unison.

"Bye guys!" Zuko said, waving back as the crew from the ship reeled in the plank.

Just as the four of them turned and walked up the dock toward the tall, walled city of Omashu, Zuko heard King Bumi say to Toph, "So, I hear you're a Metalbender."

"Sure am!" Toph said, punching her chest for affect.

"But I bet you aren't the most powerful Earthbender ever."

"Says _who_?" Toph challenged.

"Says _me_."

"Oh yeah? Well, I'll fight you right here, right now you old pushover!"

"Tonight then, and Flopsie will be the judge!"

"Flopsie? Who's Flopsie?"

"Don't ask," Katara said.

"Don't you want to go home to your family as soon as possible Toph?" Sokka asked.

"It can wait – I'm gonna prove that –" Toph began, but the rest was cut off by the wind as the ship moved further out to sea. Zuko headed back to the bow of the ship and stared off into the horizon. The ship turned itself back in a northwest direction, toward… his home? Or was it just the Fire Nation? He didn't know, but he kept his head up and his face stern, ready to face his destiny at last.

In the distance, clouds coalesced into a dense dark void. A storm was raging.

* * *

Azula was not happy.

It had taken her servants 20 minutes – 20 _interminable_ minutes – to bring her dinner after she had asked for it. And worse, it wasn't even what she asked for! Miso, seaweed salad, and tea? Where were her roast duck and dumplings? It was intolerable – she had banished her servants on several occasions, but none seemed to be listening to her – they continued to show up the next day despite her _explicit_ orders that she _never_ wanted to see their retched excuse for a face again. She should have them executed, she thought sourly; perhaps then they would learn their lesson. But, somewhere inside her, something told her that, even then, her orders would not be obeyed.

Being the Fire Lord gave Azula much time for relaxation. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she had left her room. She supposed it was okay – her father must have been dealing with all the problems associated with the end of the war. It was her responsibility to watch over the Fire Nation – make sure the farmers, artisans, merchants, and civilians were all satisfied in their varied professions. These tasks she decided, however, were better given to other officials specializing in those areas. She, herself, was only concerned with those matters of the war on her home front. But no one seemed to come asking for her counsel. She supposed she should be concerned, but she let it pass, giving herself a much needed reprieve. After all, it was her time to shine – her meddling, traitorous brother was no longer a problem. Finishing him in that agni kai was, probably, the best day of her life.

As Fire Lord, she was given a new room, decorated in rich red, green, and gold velvet. The green, she decided, was a tribute to her victorious seize of Ba Sing Se. A massive cherry-wood bed with silk blankets was in one corner of the room, next to a tall standing cherry-wood dresser. Across the room was a low table with a china tea set. The set was painted jet black, with deep red accents and the swirling designs of the Fire Nation insignia. A vanity set was next to the table, ladened with golden-rimmed hand mirrors, combs, brushes, brooches, and clips. She used to have a golden pair of scissors, but they mysteriously disappeared. At least, she thought optimistically, her hair was growing back to normal. Her little episode on her coronation day was a thing of the past – she knew people would learn to respect her like they did her father. She _was_ the Fire Lord.

Finished with her meal, she left it by her door. Someone always came by later to pick up her tray. Bored, she went over to her vanity table and sat looking at herself in the mirror. She had banished her traitorous beauticians, so she had learned to do her hair and makeup herself. She was becoming adept at pulling her waist length hair back into a bun and her rather lopsided bangs gave her a distinctively wild look. But she didn't care. She figured the look would be intimidating enough to let everyone know not to cross her path.

After brushing her bangs to the side and staring at her spotless reflection in the mirror, she looked about her room for something to do. Sighing, she thought it was times like this where she missed Mai and Ty Lee. She remembered during their down time in Ba Sing Se, when they were not pretending to be Kyoshi warriors, Ty Lee would brush her hair and say things like, "Azula, you're the smartest, prettiest, most powerful person in the whole wide world!" Of course, she knew that already, but she liked to be reminded of it once in awhile. Then there was Mai and her comic relief. Her infatuation with her brother Zu-Zu was _hilarious_, and the way she always seemed bored with everything and everyone around her made her an interesting character. The three of them, they were the _elite_ team – the perfect weapon. And then Mai had to go and mess it all up. Her words still echoed in her head – "_You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you._" She did _not_ miscalculate! In the end, it was her, no, _both of them_ that miscalculated! You don't just turn on the Fire Lord and expect to be forgiven!

"They'll pay for what they did and maybe in the future they'll learn never to betray me again!" Azula said to her reflection in the mirror.

"Can't you hear yourself Azula?"

"What? Who said that?"

Azula turned wildly in her chair, eyes wide, her mouth in a grimace. She stared around her room with its dim light from a tiny window that she wasn't even tall enough to look out of. She supposed she should have thought that as odd, but, then again, she didn't mind the dark. If she ever needed it, she would always have light.

"Who dares enter the Fire Lord's room without her permission?" Azula shouted, rising from her chair and gazing into her dark room.

No one answered. Straining her eyes and ears, Azula readied herself for an attack. It was obviously an assassin – nobody could be trusted! She would have to execute her idiot guards for this.

"We'll see who thinks it's funny to enter the Fire Lord's room and not expect punishment! Show yourself!"

Azula raised her hands and bursts of blue fire erupted into being. She felt the light and warmth of the flames lick her face as she narrowed her eyes into the surrounding darkness. Squinting, she saw the silhouette of someone approaching her. As the figure moved closer, its features became more distinct. Feminine. A red cloak. Gold eyes.

When she realized who it was, Azula stumbled back, her face paling and her eyes widened in fear. Her flames sparked and extinguished, but it didn't matter. She could still see the figure in front of her as clear as daylight.

"Azula, can't you see yourself?" her mother, Ursa, said.

Azula backed up slowly, toward her vanity. She attempted to shoot a fire blast at her mother, but nothing but a small orange flame escaped her unclasped hand. What was wrong with her? She was shaking – this was not her! She was _fear_ – she did not show fear herself!

"You rely on your anger to fuel your power. But you do not feel anger or cunning now – you are afraid," said her mother, her face concerned. "But you need not be afraid, darling."

Azula had made it to her vanity and began pawing the table blindly behind her. When she grabbed something solid, she hurled it at her mother.

The golden brooch she had thrown passed through her mother as if it was nothing but air.

"Oh Azula," her mother said sadly, shaking her head.

Azula grabbed something else, a comb, and clutched it against her chest. "Get away! Get away you, you, _witch_!" she shouted, raising the comb above her head like a sword.

"Am I really the 'witch', Azula?" her mother asked.

She was no more than a foot or so away from Azula now, close enough that, if she wanted to, she could reach out and touch her…

"You're not real!" Azula screeched. "I'm just making you up! You're gone! Get out of my head! I _command_ you to get out of my head!" She pointed a tremulous finger in front of her.

"Azula, of course I'm real. I'm right here. But if you look closely, you'll see the things that aren't."

"What are you talking about?" Azula snarled.

"I've been here before, we've talked about it. Can't you see where you are? Can't you see who you are?"

Azula flicked her gaze around her dark room. All she saw was her table, bureau, and bed. The high window. The tray by the door with her dishes. The velvet curtains. And her mother.

"I see nothing. Now, leave me alone! I have a nation to run!"

"If you have a nation to run, why have you not left your room?" her mother asked, cocking her head to the side and then turning toward the door to her room.

"I can leave whenever I want!" Azula shouted, marching past her mother towards the door. When she clasped the handle to the door, nothing moved. She jiggled it every which way and pushed, but, again, the door remained firm.

"Guards!" Azula bellowed. "Guards! There's something wrong with the door! I'm stuck in here – open up now!"

Nobody answered. Not a single movement on the other side of the door.

"Guards?" her voice quavered ever so slightly.

"Azula dear…"

Azula wheeled to face her mother, who had crossed the room and was standing in front of her. Azula raised the comb in her hand again, her face crazed.

"What did you do to the door?" Azula hissed.

"I did nothing," she replied. "Everything here you did to yourself."

"What are you talking about?"

"Azula, remember. Remember what really happened – what happened at the agni kai with your brother."

"The agni kai?" Azula thought, but the image of her brother and her fighting that cloudy day felt like eons ago. It was so blurry…

"I won, of course. Zuko didn't stand a chance… and then I was crowned Fire Lord."

"No Azula – you did not win," said her mother, shaking her head.

Something seemed to ring her head, like a loud, high-pitched buzz. She clasped her head and fell to her knees, the sound too strong to bear.

It was as if the sound unlocked something in her mind. She remembered things – visions of things that had happened before. She was there again on that cloudy day, and Zuko was taunting her to shoot him with lightning. But Azula was smarter than that. The Water Tribe girl stood behind him, her hands clasped in front of her, eyes wide as she watched Zuko. She wasn't even watching her! Azula could feel herself smiling, her arms circling up and around her as she built the electric charge within herself. Zuko spread his legs wide, readying his stance for her lightning bolt. But it wasn't himself he should be worrying about – oh no. Laughing, Azula shot the bolt straight for the blue-eyed girl.

Everything seemed to slow down. The girl's eyes became huge as the bolt made its way toward her. Zuko watched the bolt in horror, as he catapulted himself in front of the girl, arms still at the ready to redirect the bolt. But he could not do it in mid-air and he fell, his body smoking on the ground. The Waterbender girl ran to him, to see if he was okay – but Azula knew he wasn't. She had won. She had done it. Cackling, she knew she would be the most powerful Fire Lord in her nation's history.

But that was not the end. That was the only part she was able to recall before. The next part revealed itself like a curtain peels back to reveal the sun.

The girl came charging towards Zuko, her hand outstretched and wrapped with water. She was going to heal him? Azula would take care of that. She let out a blue fire blast in front of the girl and she skidded to a stop. She was going to get that Water Tribe girl and then her victory would be complete. Blasting more fire in her direction, Azula flipped herself up and over so that she was on the roof of the pavilion surrounding the arena. She circled her arms again, and with reckless abandon, shot another lightning bolt at the girl. But the girl blocked it – a wall of water rose from grates around the arena, shielding the girl from the blast. Jumping down, Azula raced after the girl, using streams of fire to propel herself forward. Shifting the water and freezing it, the girl surfed around the field until she was under an overhang across the field. The girl paused briefly before turning to face Azula head on. Azula stopped a few feet from her – perhaps the girl was ready to admit defeat.

But she wasn't. With a fierce, determined expression, the girl stepped forward, extending her hands before her and sending multiple whips of water after her, which Azula dodged just in time. Rolling to her feet, Azula wheeled, manipulating her arms to send another bolt of lightning right into the girls face when…

Everything froze.

Azula couldn't move, her hand rooted to the spot not two inches from the girl's face. The Waterbender had her hands extended above her and was also frozen in place, eyes wide and staring at Azula's fingertips. Until she exhaled.

The water began to flow around her and the girl brought down a chain that was held in her hands and began tying it around Azula's wrists. When she was done, she twisted the chain around the grate below her feet, where the water had sprung up and frozen them in place. Flattening her hands and pushing down, the frozen water around Azula and the girl receded back into the grate below and Azula was left bound and helpless.

The girl rushed to Zuko's side, water revolving around her hand. She rolled Zuko's lifeless body over and held her hand to his scarred chest. Azula smiled. There was no way Zuko could have survived her blast.

But, no, no! He was rising up! He was on his feet and staring at her! No – it couldn't be!

And the memory faded, with her screaming and yelling, fire blasting from her nose and mouth in frustration. She was twisting and turning in her bound chains, flipping onto her back and wailing, tears like rivers flowing down her face.

"No," Azula said, coming back to reality, and pulling at her matted hair. "No – it can't be!"

"But it is," said her mother softly. "You knew before, but you chose to deny it."

Azula dropped her comb and clutched her chest, tears shaking her body. "You're lying!"

Ursa bent down and placed a hand on Azula.

"Don't touch me!" Azula cried, turning away from her.

Ursa sighed. "Azula – look around your room. Look around and _see_."

Azula lifted her head tentatively and looked. At the corners of her vision, her elaborate Fire Lord room dissolved into itself, starting from the edges and working its way to the middle. And, in its place, was a bare, earthen room, with a metal cot in the corner where once stood her giant bed. And, across from it, was a low table, made of shoddy planks. There was no tea set on top of it. The tiny, narrow window at the top of the room remained the same, as well as the tray with her food next to the door. But the tray was rusting, and the dishes were stained from years of use. Moving her gaze around the floor, she saw no comb or brooch. Only dirt. She lifted her hands to examine them – ghostly reflections of what they once were, crusted over with dirt and grime, while blisters bubbled over bright red burn marks on her palms. Looking down, her legs were bare and pale, splayed with red blotches and scratches. She wore only a torn and patched red tunic. Her hands made their way urgently to her face – and she saw, with her fingers, her loose, knotted hair, her makeup-less face, the filth that streaked across her cheeks and forehead… She was not the Azula she had seen in the mirror but a few minutes ago.

"What-what's happened to me?" Azula stammered, pulling her hands away from her face and staring at them, almost as though, in doing so, everything would make sense again.

"Azula, you lost," her mother said gently. "You're brother is the Fire Lord, and the war is over. For the past month, you've been here, with us. Do you remember now?"

She looked around her room again and saw scorch marks on the walls and the ceiling – saw the metal door peeling away where it had melted. Suddenly, she saw herself, blasting the walls with her fire, sobbing while lying in the cot in the corner, digging through the dirt with her nails, and pushing her hands to the metal door, trying to melt it away and escape. And she would have done it, if it weren't for someone peeling her burnt, blacken hands away from the door.

Her mother saw her staring at the door and nodded. "We had to bind your hands for a week after that little incident."

"Wha-why?" Azula asked quietly, shaking.

"You have always been a good liar, Azula. Good enough to even lie to yourself. You created the world as you wanted it to be. You did it before and we brought you back to reality… until you fell into your delusions again."

"So you've been here? You've been here, all this time, mother?"

"Mother? Oh no, Azula. You're not seeing her again are you? Look again. Who am I?"

Azula concentrated, staring at her mother until there seemed to be two images superimposed on one another – one of her mother, and another of a woman with kind tawny eyes and short, straight bangs and long black hair. As Azula focused more, her mother disappeared completely, and the strange woman in the burgundy and gold tunic and leather boots remained, smiling and extending her hand for Azula to take.

"Who-who are you?" Azula asked.

"I'm a friend – I'm here to help you," she said. "But you could call me Ming, if you like."

"Ha – So, _Ming_, I must be in prison – hum? Serving time for my _crimes_ against the Fire Nation?" Azula pushed Ming's hand away, instead rising shakily to her feet by herself. Ming watched her with such pity that was so _funny_ that Azula couldn't control her sudden burst of laughter. "Hahaha! 'Crimes against the Fire Nation'? Why limit my sins to one arena? What about what I've done to the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribe, or the Avatar? But nobody seems to understand…" Her laughter stopped abruptly as she frowned and took a quivering step toward Ming. "What I did, I did _for_ the Fire Nation! For us to be the greatest nation on this Earth – I should be rewarded – worshipped!"

"Azula, you're not in prison… you're…." Ming looked around and bit her lip, before finishing, "… somewhere else."

"What? Then, where am I?" Azula could feel her rage boiling inside of her and the familiar heat beneath her fingertips. This Ming was going to tell her everything, even if that meant she would have to use _other_ methods.

"Aren't you interested in where your brother is?" Ming said, switching the subject. "You've been asking for him for days."

"What? My brother?" Azula exploded into another peel of laughter. "Excuse me, I mean, 'Fire Lord Zuko'! Haha – little Zu-Zu _Fire Lord_? There are few things, if any, that he's good at… least of all running a kingdom. That oaf King Kuei and his bear could run the nation better than _Zuko_!"

"Your brother is doing just fine. In fact, despite his little experience, I've heard he's caught on rather quickly," Ming said matter-of-factly. "But, you have been asking for him. Why? I don't quite know, but if I were to take a guess, I would say that it's because of your mother. Since you've come here, you've seen her on many occasions."

"Why would I see her?" Azula said, crossing her arms and looking sideways. "Mother never loved me – it was always Zuko."

Ming shrugged. "In any case, your brother has returned from a journey not two days ago. And he's coming to see you tonight. I came here to see if you were…"

"What – sane?" Azula smiled crookedly, raising an eyebrow.

"To see if you were able to remember _why_ you wanted to see him," Ming finished.

Azula thought, closing her eyes and trying to picture her brother's scarred face, but she couldn't see him. The only image beneath her lids was her mother's… and she could hear herself saying, "Even _you_ fear me," and her mother responding, "No, I love you Azula, I do." Pressing her hands to her eyes, Azula remembered. Remembered, in the dark of the night, alone and tossing and turning in her cot, remembered _why_.

"I do," Azula said, grinning and turning to the sympathetic Ming. "Get the Fire Lord for me. Bring little Zu-Zu to me immediately."

* * *

The island was off the coast of Capital City. It was small, only big enough for the institution and a high wire fence surrounding the coastline. The facility itself was known by many names, although its official one was "Sacred Fire". Most just call it "the Site" or "Fireland". When the facility was built about a few decades ago, the staff believed, that no matter who was sent to the mental institution, all the patients were "sacred", despite their instabilities. They just needed help to rekindle their "inner life fire". Zuko didn't believe a word of it. Since his father began ruling, the place was less of a hospital than it was a second prison. He ignored the place and from what Zuko heard, the Site was falling apart – underfunded, misrepresented, and mistrusted.

This would be Zuko's first trip to see his sister at the Site. He hated the fact that he had to go see her at all… but, in a weird way, he pitied his abusive, psychopathic sister. As a child, the only thing that he remembered about her was her Firebending prowess and her manipulative attitude. He was always trying to improve his skills to match hers – always trying to impress his father. What he didn't realize was, while he was being encouraged by his mother to keep doing the best he could do, his father was concentrating all his efforts on Azula. She was the child he had placed all his hopes in for the nation, since Zuko was a "miserable, caring failure". Perhaps, he thought, having the complete attention of their father was not so much great as it must have been terrifying. Showing any sort of weakness or humility in front of him was not met with smiles and encouragement, but with resentment and displeasure. Azula had to be nothing less than perfect, and, because of this pressure, Zuko could only imagine the kind of trials she was put through. No wonder she was the way she was now.

Zuko stepped off the small ferry and onto the rocky surface that served as steps leading up to the tall, black metal fence surrounding the island of Fireland. A contingent of no less than five guards encircled Zuko as the patrols at the fence gate approached.

"I'm here to see my sister," Zuko said brusquely.

The patrols, three of them dressed in red and black tunics, bracers, gloves, and helmets, glanced at each other until the tallest of them opened his mouth to say something before he was interrupted.

"Fire Lord Zuko! So happy to see you!"

Beyond the gate, a short man with a bulging gut and a bald head appeared. He wore huge glasses than made his amber eyes look three times too big for his face. Despite the lack of hair on his head, his jaw and gullet was framed in a salt and pepper bread so massive that his face seemed to droop forward because of it. He clasped one of the bars with a pudgy hand and shook it.

"Guards! What are you doing? Open this gate and let the Fire Lord in immediately!" he said, in a voice so high-pitched that it took a Zuko a moment to match the voice with the body.

The patrols scratched their heads and turned to unlock the gate doors with a huge brass key. Then, together, they moved the heavy door open, allowing the pacing man behind the gates outside.

"Ah, it's a pleasure Your Honor," the man said, dashing through the gate and bowing before Zuko. After a few moments, he rose and said, in that small, girl-like voice that was so different from his body that Zuko's mouth twitched as he tried to hide a smile, "I'm the Warden and Doctor of Sacred Fire, Lingwei! It's the first time a Fire Lord has been here since Azulon in, oh my, it must've been decades!"

"When it first opened," Zuko said, frowning.

"I suppose so! I suppose so! You know, I've been here since the opening," Lingwei explained as he shepherded Zuko and his guards through the gate and up to the entrance of Sacred Fire, a large metal door set into a huge cube-like red building scattered with tiny windows. It was the simplest of layouts, but the mere simplicity of it intimidated Zuko for reasons he couldn't explain. Lingwei continued to babble excitedly as Zuko stared at the building looming ahead of them. "We used to be the first of our kind until Ba Sing Se introduced their own mental institution – 'Roots' or 'Earthy' or something silly of that sort… but we were the first I tell you!"

When the group reached the door, Lingwei took out another huge brass key and unlocked the metal door. It swung inward as two more patrols pulled the door open. With a tentative step, Zuko was inside.

It was the weirdest sensation. Suddenly Zuko felt like he was both the center of attention and also as insignificant as a flea. Despite the bare ordinariness of the building outside, Sacred Fire was a marvel inside. It seemed twice as long as it did wide, probably because the walls on either side of Zuko pressed in so close he felt like all he had to do was spread his arms and he could touch the sides of the earthen walls. But the road before him stretched on into the distance, to the point where he could barely make out the wall on the opposite side. Hundreds of doors lined both walls on either side of him, ascending about eight stories high. Balconies outlined the stories above him until you reached the ceiling, which was not flat, but curved upward, almost to a point. But where the point would've been was the oddest part of the building.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Lingwei said proudly. "It is 'Sun's Light'."

Indeed it was. Sunlight streamed through a line of windows above them, giving the hallway both a magical and haunting feeling simultaneously. The ground sparkled as the rays of sun danced off of the minerals in the earth and gleamed on the doors of the cells.

"Much cheaper to have Sun's Light than line this corridor with torches and lanterns!" Lingwei said quickly, seeming to understand the unasked question on Zuko's face. "This area is also a great place for our patients to meet and interact with each other. As you can see, at the end of the hall is our dining and social gathering area. And then that door at the end? Yes, that leads to administrative rooms – haha, silly me," he laughed than chattered onward, "Of course, not all of them are _administrative_, per se, I mean, the kitchen is in there too. But we have testing rooms, housing for the staff, that sort of thing. The layout is quite fascinating! Sure, the Boiling Rock is known for being 'inescapable' – Bah! You and your friends, Your Honor, were actually the first ones to make it out alive from that place. But, little do people know that Sacred Fire here is known for our most _stopped_ escapes! All doors lead to 'Sun's Light', and, you see that _enormous_ window on the north wall there? We have a patrol and an assistant posted behind there at all times and they can see _everything_ that is going on! Amazing isn't it? And, our patients never really want to leave in the first place – they're happy here. Also, under all this earth you see here? Solid, reinforced metal – the earth is just to protect our more 'rambunctious' patients from hurting themselves… but, of course, this layout would _never_ work in the Earth Kingdom, right?" Lingwei laughed again, the sound like a hog-monkey who had drunk too much cactus juice. "They'd just bend it, get it? Oh, and over there is –"

"My sister?" Zuko said, pressing his palms to his forehead, trying to stifle a sudden headache.

"Oh, oh! Yes, yes, of course! I'll show you to your sister right away! I tend to get ahead of myself, you know – one topic leads into another, but, would you believe it, I'm a _great_ listener. Patients love me," Lingwei said, waving his arms in what was supposed to be a bashful, modest gesture. "But I got to say, despite my enormity, there simply isn't enough of me to go around. We are seriously understaffed, underfunded… I mean, our patients are just not getting enough…"

Zuko thought idly, as Lingwei led them up a staircase in the middle of the hallway, that Lingwei was certainly getting enough.

"And we have this _dreadful_ leak – it's a waterfall, I tell you, right in the middle of the dining hall. If we don't get that fixed soon we're going to have mold and other problems… This whole place is in need of major renovations… Not to mention the little mishap that you sister caused…"

"What?" Zuko stopped, one foot in front of the other on two different steps. "What did she do?"

"Well, I check on your sister's progress about twice a week. She's of very particular interest to us – well, not only because she's your sister, but because her mental stability is rather, precarious."

"Precarious?"

"She goes in and out of delusions and, out of all our patients here, she is probably the most persistent in trying to escape. She tried to melt the door to her room with that fancy blue fire of hers – the result, probably melting her own hands more than the door itself."

Zuko's eyes widened. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised, but he never would have guessed that Azula would resort to intentionally hurting herself just to escape.

"What do you know about her progress?" Zuko asked as they began to ascend the steps again.

"Oh, well, I think she's getting better, though she refuses to talk during sessions with me and I believe she goes into delusions where she thinks she's the Fire Lord. Did you know she tried to banish me?" Lingwei giggled as he pushed the metal door at the top of the staircase open. "Here we are, the eighth floor: the extreme cases, or, as we sometimes call them, our hopeless ones."

The group walked onto the balcony and was abruptly greeted with screaming. Zuko covered his ears as shouts, crying, door banging, and whistles echoed out into Sun's Light. The smell, compared with the previous floors, was atrocious… the smell of rot, decay, refuse… neglect. He was only here for about ten minutes and he already despised the Site and distrusted Lingwei's chatty, positive personality.

"We have our serial murderers, connivers, and reality-lost patients here. Unfortunately, these cases are not allowed access outside and all their meals must be brought to them. A pity your sister must be one of them… but I am doing my best to save her, truly I am, but she is, indeed, one of our hopeless…"

Zuko stopped, his guards freezing behind him as well. He was gritting his teeth, trying not to let his sudden emotions take over him. His Uncle was right – this place couldn't be trusted. When his father ignored its existence, the place was left to run itself – with staff that maybe should not have gotten the positions they're in the first place.

"Where's Ming?" Zuko said between clenched teeth.

"Ming? Oh, the newcomer? She's unavailable, probably working on –"

"I don't care – bring her to me now!" Zuko said, his patience spread thin.

"Right away, Fire Lord Zuko! Right away!" Lingwei said hastily, turning around and about to bolt past Zuko, when a voice from ahead of him stopped him in his tracks.

"No need, Doctor Lingwei. I'm right here."

The group turned their heads to a tall woman with straight-cut bangs and kind, golden eyes walking down the balcony toward them. She bowed briefly to Zuko and then rose, flattening her long red and gold robe. "I'm at your service, Fire Lord."

"Splendid, splendid!" Lingwei chanted excitedly. "Now, off to see your sister and –"

"Lingwei, I am fine here with Ming. You're excused. Please go attend to the other patients who you told me 'are not getting enough of you'. As we all know, you're services must be in dire need around here," Zuko said, trying not to sound too bitingly sarcastic, but, despite the amount of patience he'd garnered during the years of his banishment, certain people still ticked him off more than others. Liars and manipulators were just some of them.

Lingwei stiffened, affronted. Then, with what must have taken the last of his pride to do so, he stammered, "Y-yes F-Fire Lord. I shall return to my duties at once." Lingwei turned once to Ming, exchanged a brief, but altogether dark glance, and sauntered off down the balcony back towards the stairwell.

Zuko watched him go, his eyes narrowed, and then swiveled his attention back to Ming. Ming, however, was not looking at him; instead, she watched Lingwei waddle his pudgy self down the hallway, much like a penguin on solid ground, her face contorted into an irritated grimace. It was so unlike her previous pleasant and soft expression that Zuko's eyes widened.

After a few more seconds, when the stairwell door closed behind Lingwei with a bang, Ming said, none too kindly, "I hate that man." She crossed her eyes, sighed, and finally looked over Zuko. "And I'm still unsure about you."

"Me?" Zuko said, baffled that she was talking to him so directly.

"After a month, and this is the first time you visit your sister? And, have you seen this place? I'm not sure whether to feel honored or damned for my position change."

Zuko's eyes followed Ming as she gestured around them, and Zuko saw things he may never have noticed before. Cobwebs as large as tables draping from the ceiling, flies dancing in and out of Sun's Light, ants crawling underneath the cell doors, scratches and dents on the doors, and that awful smell that almost made Zuko gag.

Then Ming sighed, dropping her arms. "You know, if you had stayed with him, he would have tried to keep you away from your sister for as long as possible."

"Why?"

"He doesn't want you to see what she's become. This place may have a few things right, but he is _not_ one of them. He has no idea how to handle his patients. The other day, he came up here on one of his routine check-ups and, instead of helping Kenji, in that room behind you, he sat in front of his door and ate Fire-Crisps, while Kenji cowered in the back corner. You see, he's deathly afraid of crunching sounds, to the point where he sometimes refuses to eat for days on end. Lingwei believes he was helping Kenji overcome his fear, but _I _think he was just hungry and in the mood for amusement. The sounds Kenji was making… you would think he was being tortured." Ming shook her head as if that would rid the memory. "Does Lingwei know that crunching sounds remind Kenji of his father, who was more than cruel to him? A big man, his father's boots cracked the ground he walked on and more than a few heads… but Lingwei would know that if he bothered to listen…"

Zuko eyed Ming as she turned sympathetic eyes toward the door to Kenji's room. Suddenly, Zuko knew that his Uncle was right. Asking Ming to join Sacred Fire, with the explicit assignment of watching Azula, was the right decision. Iroh had met Ming during his time in the Capital City prison. Iroh told Zuko that she had been kind to him, bringing him extra rations and talking to him on occasion. His Uncle did not trust the staff at Sacred Fire and had told Zuko that perhaps asking someone trustworthy to look after his sister would be wise. And although Zuko had never met Ming, he trusted his Uncle implicitly. And from what Zuko had learned about Ming so far, he liked her. She was soft and compassionate but, he could tell, there was a fire and strength to her behind her reserved face. The fact that she was ranting about her idiotic superior _to the Fire Lord_ was not something to be ignored either.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said. "I didn't know what kind I position I was giving you."

Ming moved her heavy gaze to him, before grinning. "No, I was joking. I do appreciate the change… I actually feel like I can help the people here."

Zuko thought about it, making a mental note of the comment for later. "And my sister?"

Ming sighed, slouching forward. She looked genuinely exhausted, as if an elephant camel was on her shoulders. Then she stood up straight again and said, "Your sister… is doing better. Twice she fell prey to her delusions – that _she_ was actually crowned Fire Lord and that the war is still going on. In between those hallucinations, she's been trying to escape. She's not been sleeping well. Sometimes I come and check on her at night and she tosses and turns, like she's having a bad dream. But, Fire Lord Zuko, there has been one constant since she's come here."

"What's that?"

"Your mother. On more than one occasion, I've caught Azula talking to her – well, thinking that she's talking to her. Is there something about your mother that has her worried?"

"Our family… is complicated," Zuko said, frowning. Truth be told, he didn't think Azula ever cared much about their mother. At Ember Island, he remembered when Azula, fleetingly shared her emotions, before hiding them behind her supercilious mask. Was what she had said true? Could she have possibly been jealous of Zuko and their mother's relationship?

"Well, about a week or so ago, she started asking for you – _demanding_ it more like it. But, of course, you were gone then. Just now, I went to check to see if she remembers why she wants to see you. Nonetheless, if she hadn't asked for you, I probably would have. I think having some sort of family support through this might be good for her. I've been keeping my eye on her… I know the two of you have had problems in the past, but believe me when I say, there are parts to her that you've probably never seen before." Ming's voice became low and serious as she said, "Your sister is confused, scared, and lonely. She feels betrayed by her friends, her father, her mother, and her nation. Please understand this as you talk to her, Fire Lord." Abruptly, her features became hostile as she said threateningly, "Don't say anything to upset her – it is not a time for arguing! I _will_ pull you out of there if the discussion becomes too heated – you understand? Just because you're the 'Fire Lord' doesn't exclude you from the same common courtesies as everyone else!" She pushed her face right up into Zuko's until their noses almost touched. One of Zuko's guards rustled behind him, preparing to fight, until Zuko waved a hand _no_ in his direction.

"I get it," Zuko said, eyebrows lowering. "Now, for the hundredth time, can I see my sister so that I could get this over with?"

Ming raised her eyebrows and then spun on her heels so that she was marching back up the hallway. Zuko and his guards followed until she halted in front of the metal door at the end of the hallway and knocked.

"Azula, your brother Fire Lord Zuko is here to see you."

The voice that responded back was what Zuko had come to recognize in his years of growing up with his sister – arrogant, contemptuous, and somehow false, as if there was no real emotion in her voice at all. And now, there was a new lilt to her voice – like it was strained and she was walking on a paper thin edge.

"Well hurry up then and show him in. I've waited long enough!"

Ming slid back the bar locking the door in place, pushed it open, and gestured for Zuko to enter. Nodding discreetly in Ming's direction, he walked into Azula's room and gaped.

It all came at him at once – the scorch marks on the walls, the holes dug into the ground and dirt piled in random areas around the room, and the back of the door, blackened and disfigured. But it was not the room that caught him off guard, oh no, but the figure standing with her back turned before him.

She was thinner than before, her head titled upward toward the one miniscule window in the room and her blistered, roughened hands clasped behind her back. The simple red tunic she wore was patched and dirty, nothing like her old regal Princess attire she used to wear. Her legs were layered in red splotch marks and bruise marks the size of melons. Her tangled hair was nearly all the way down her back, but the luster it once possessed was gone, replaced with what looked like straw. Yet, despite Azula's outward appearance, the way she held herself, rigid and contemplating, paid tribute to her old self. And when she turned, although makeup-less and gritty, her mouth was still contorted into a sneer and her eyes seemed to know already what you would say before you said it. It was still Azula – no matter what people said about her, she was still the same. And the moment of pity that had temporarily clutched at his heart when he first saw her, disappeared like the last loll of thunder in a storm.

"Azula," Zuko said.

"Zuko," she said, raising an eyebrow.

They stood staring at each other for what felt like hours. Azula's mouth twitched at the corners as she took in Zuko's new grandeur, and, without disguising his smirk, he thought how much it must irritate Azula to have to endure this role-reversal: Zuko, nobility and commander of the nation, and Azula, the excommunicated prisoner.

Eventually, the staring contest ended with Azula jerking her chin towards Zuko's feet, saying, "Now, if I were in more suitable accommodations, I might've offered you a place of honor on a comfortable chair. But, because of where I am, you are now stepping on my chair."

Zuko stepped back and looked down. It was nothing but a small pile of dirt.

"You call that a seat?"

Azula narrowed her eyes at him. "Thanks to you, I have nothing better. But, O Fire Lord, sit down. We have much to talk about."

Zuko crossed his arms and remained standing.

"Still don't trust me big brother?" Azula mocked. "Smart, but foolish. You're going to get tired. I suppose you don't mind if I sit?" And Azula lowered herself so that she was sitting on her heels before him.

"Azula, I don't have all day. What is it that you want to talk to me about?"

"What's that? I'm sorry, I don't seem to be able to hear you from way up there. I think your ego's too big for me. Why don't you sit?" Azula said, looking up towards him.

Zuko clenched his hands, infuriated that he could _still be_ infuriated by his sister. Wasn't he Fire Lord? Shouldn't he be past this now? Azula continued to stare up at him, sneering, until Zuko relented and sat down across from her, seething.

"Okay Azula, enough of this. What is it you want?" Zuko demanded.

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that. For a start, you could get me out of this place, give me a seat on your council of advisors, restart the war while there's still time…"

"Forget it. I've had enough of this." Zuko began to stand, before Azula said, "You'd really leave your only sibling to rot in prison? You really dislike me that much?"

Zuko wheeled on her. "When did you ever care about me? How many times have you tried to save me from father's rage? Or, better yet, how many times have you tried to kill me yourself?"

Azula began counting, then stopped and looked seriously at Zuko, "Oh darn, I ran out of fingers."

"I'm leaving." Zuko stood and was about to bang on the door for Ming when, again, Azula stopped him.

"I suppose you haven't found mother yet," she said smoothly.

Zuko froze, his fist in midair above the door, before he dropped it back to his side. Slowly, he rotated back to Azula, who was examining her fingernails and sighing. "Oh, I shouldn't have banished those beauticians. Look how much I've ruined my hands!"

"Why? Why do you care?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

"Why anybody would care, Zuko – because, when they see an opportunity, they take it. Now, sit down. I have a proposition for you." She gestured to the dirt in front of her, raising an eyebrow toward him.

Zuko sat back down, but farther from the area where she had motioned to, eyeing her apprehensively. "Anything that interests you, Azula, is usually something better left alone."

"And you would be right – usually. But I'm curious, how far have you gotten interrogating father?"

"Nowhere. He refuses to talk to me."

"And have your tried… other methods?"

Zuko's face hardened. "I will not resort to torture, if that's what you're asking."

"Of course not Zu-Zu. You've changed your ways – you're better than all that." Then, Azula's voice became low and her eyes gleamed as she looked up at him. "But what if I tell you that you could get the information you need without harming a single hair on father?"

"How?" Zuko asked suspiciously.

Azula smiled. "Ah, but before I tell you, I'd like something in return from you."

"I knew it!" Zuko rose to his feet, outraged. "You're still scheming and conniving just like you always have! Don't you get it Azula? You've lost – you're done! You have no more cards to play! I'm the only one with moves left!"

"Yes, Zuko, yes. You are the only one who has moves left," Azula said coolly. "And therefore, you're the only one who can save mother. You don't know what father did with her. Perhaps she's a peasant somewhere, scrounging for bits of food. Perhaps she was sold and is a slave to some rich family. Or, perhaps worst of all, she's married to someone else, a rich man. And together, they've had children of their own and have forgotten about us."

"That's a lie! I don't need to know any of that!" Zuko bellowed defiantly, when inside his heart felt like it was being gnawed at.

Azula shrugged. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you've changed so much as Fire Lord that you don't care about mother anymore. After all, you have other duties to attend to now, so you could very well throw away my offer. But if you do, I know that, in time, you'll regret the decision." Azula stood and walked slowly toward Zuko, who was rooted to the ground, until she was at his side, her lips close to his ear, her voice soft. "Not knowing what happened to mother will eat away at your heart until you can't do anything and focusing on simple things becomes nearly impossible. And you'll begin to imagine what would have happened if you made that second choice." Azula rotated around Zuko, stopping at his opposite side. "'What would she say to me if she saw me? What does her voice sound like? What does she look like now? Will she smile at me when she sees that I'm the Fire Lord? Or will she just be disappointed?' you'll think." Azula turned and walked away from a wide-eyed Zuko, waving her hand flippantly at her side. "Of course, why bother? You're probably right not to trust me. Moreover, mother could be dead for all we know. But that's exactly it, isn't it." Azula turned, grinning. "We don't know."

Zuko watched her performance dumbstruck. It was surprising how well she could still get inside his head and manipulate every one of his emotions so that he was at war with himself and not Azula! Grappling with her was like taking on a two-headed rat viper. While you focus on one head, the other comes around the side while you're not watching. Already, Zuko could feel her venom take hold of his senses.

"What is it that you want?" Zuko asked eventually, hating himself for it.

"Simple," Azula said lightly. "When father tells you where mother is and you go off to find her, I want you to bring me with you."

"WHAT?" Zuko yelled in disbelief.

The door to the room smacked open with Ming standing in the doorway, her arms folded. Glaring at Zuko, who had his arms frozen in midair above a very calm Azula, Ming said, "What did I say about heated discussion?"

"Ming, I'm fine, don't worry," Azula reassured. "Zuko and I are just having – a lively debate."

Ming gave Azula a once over, nodded, and left.

"Look, you made Ming all worried," Azula said, shaking her head.

Zuko ignored that. "Azula, there's no way you're coming with me."

"Then you'll never get the information from father," Azula countered.

Zuko gritted his teeth, refusing to relent.

"Zuko, this is _all_ I'm asking from you. Notice I'm not asking you to 'release' me from this place, nor am I asking you to banish me somewhere, nor am I asking you to make me Fire Lord. It's just one trip with me and then you could put me right back here. You can even bring as many guards as you want to watch me and to make sure that I don't run." Azula grinned. "Like I said, 'simple.'"

Zuko, on the other hand, did not find it the least bit "simple". In fact, he found it too good to be true.

"What's the catch?" he said.

"No catch. Just this one trip to see mother and straight back here. That's it."

"Why do _you_ want to see mother anyway?"

Azula narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Maybe I cared for mother too."

"No you didn't."

"It doesn't matter _why_ Zu-Zu. Me giving a reason is not part of the deal."

"Give me a good reason or else I won't even consider this," Zuko said.

For a brief moment, Azula looked like she wasn't going to say anything. She glowered at Zuko. But then something happened that Zuko did not expect. The shell that Azula wore seemed to crack and split at the edges until she was exposed raw. Her glower diminished, only to be replaced by a face both very confused and very… scared.

"I don't know why… but she's been in practically every dream I've had since I've come here. And sometimes, I see her standing in front of me like I see you now. Maybe… maybe seeing her in real life will make it go away – will… cure me."

Zuko was dumbfounded. The change was not only instantaneous, but dramatic. For maybe the second time in her life, Azula made herself vulnerable. Of course, she could be lying, Zuko thought. But then, he recalled what Ming had said earlier: _Believe me when I say, there are parts to her that you've probably never seen before_. Was this one of them?

Azula stood, watching, waiting for a response. What was he supposed to say? Could he believe her? Frankly, could he afford not to?

Sighing, Zuko said, "What do you have in mind?"

Azula grinned.

8-8

"What's wrong Zuko? You've been like this all day."

Zuko was pacing the entire width of the Imperial Suite while Mai lounged on an embroidered burgundy sofa near a panel of tall windows that looked out into the garden Zuko, Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai used to play at when they were younger. It was a fine evening – the sun was setting in the distance, lighting the sky in a fiery orange glow. Turtle ducks swam in the pond outside and cricket flies filled the night air with the serene sound of faint buzzing. And, despite how much he wanted to be with Mai and spend the night outside eating fruit tarts and reminiscing, Zuko had other duties that he needed to attend to that night. Duties that he wished he did not have to do.

"I have some things I need to take care of tonight," Zuko said by way of explanation.

"Uh-huh," Mai said, rolling over from her position on the couch so that she could see him better. Her eyebrows rose as she watched Zuko's endless pacing. "So you have enough time before your 'dinner date' tonight with the council to pace around your room, but not enough time to sit and relax awhile with your girlfriend?"

"I'm not meeting with the council tonight," Zuko objected.

"Then where _are_ you going?"

"Mai, for now, just don't ask. I promise I'll tell you all about it afterword… if it works."

"Okay," Mai jumped up from the couch. "I can tell when I'm not wanted, when it's not just my parents telling me to keep quiet."

"Mai," Zuko said, catching her by the arm. "I'm sorry."

Mai looked at Zuko's hand clutching her arm and shrugged it off. She eyed him shrewdly and said, "What did Azula say to you the other day? You've been jumpy ever since."

It's hard to keep anything from Mai, Zuko thought sighing. "Mai, promise when I tell you that you won't tell anyone else."

"I promise," she said.

Zuko nodded. "Tonight I –"

There was a knock on the door and a voice said, "Your Honor?"

Zuko recognized it and said, "You may enter."

The door opened to an unusually tall and gangly man with a pair of large spectacles on his crooked nose. Half of his hair was piled into a bun at the top of his head and decorated with a small clip carved with a dragon tooth. The rest of his black hair flowed down until about his shoulders, where it met the collar of the gold and red robe of the Fire Nation council. Looking up from the unrolled scroll in his hand, he flicked his amber eyes to Zuko.

"Fire Lord Zuko, your 'guests' have arrived."

"Thank you Kazan," Zuko said. "I'll be right there."

He bowed at the waist and exited.

"I promise I'll tell you about it later," Zuko said, turning to Mai.

"You better, because I tend to hold grudges," Mai replied.

Zuko grinned. "I know."

Mai clasped his cheek and pulled him in for a brief, but passionate kiss. Releasing him, their noses still touching, she whispered, "Don't forget. And whatever you're doing, don't die because, even beyond the grave, my spirit is vicious."

"Okay," he said softly. His lips tugged gently on hers, before he turned and walked out the door.

Kazan was waiting for him outside. Zuko strode past him so that Kazan had to jog to catch up.

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" Kazan said quietly so that the guards patrolling either side of the hallway couldn't hear them.

"No," Zuko replied bluntly. "But I don't see any other options. I doubt he'll talk any other way."

"Your Honor, if I could suggest, I know ways of getting a man to talk, _without_ jeopardizing your reputation!"

"What you're suggesting, a return to the old ways, _will_ jeopardize my reputation. I will not resort to that. This is the only way, without harming him."

"Do you really trust your sister? Because I don't."

"What choice do I have?"

"Many more!"

Zuko stopped and turned to Kazan, whose long fingers were drumming a frantic beat on the now rolled up scroll. "Kazan, you don't have to come. You can stay home tonight if you like."

Kazan shook his head vigorously. "No, Your Honor. I plan to see this through with you until the end, although I have a bad feeling about it."

Zuko nodded, smiling somewhat. Kazan could be a little panicky at times, but Zuko thought he made a good Dragon's Tooth, or the Fire Lord's chief advisor. It was said that whatever the dragon, or the Fire Lord decided, it would be the Dragon's Tooth who would make it happen. Sometimes it was said that the Tooth's doing was sharper than the Fire Lord himself and that it was the Tooth and not the Fire Lord who actually ruled the Fire Nation. But Zuko trusted Kazan. He was quick-witted, knowledgeable of the nation, and also way too hesitant in decision making. This was where Zuko would come in.

"I hoped you would," Zuko said to Kazan. "Have you sent our guests to –"

"Yes. We shall meet them there."

"Then let's go."

Together, they exited the palace just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Quickly and quietly, the two made their way through the deserted streets until they reached the tall, gray circular building on the outskirts of the city. The prison.

As the two entered and started up a series of stone steps to the correct floor, Zuko recalled the few times he had come here to visit his Uncle. They were dark memories – days when he was confused and lost and missed his Uncle's stupid proverbs. Zuko shook his head, trying to focus himself on the here and now.

Kazan and Zuko counted the torches on the wall as they made their way around the corridor so that they were sure to stop by the right cell. As it turned out, it wasn't needed. A party waited for them outside the metal cell door.

"What is _she_ doing here?" Kazan hissed at Zuko.

"It's part of the deal. Don't worry, she won't get out of control," Zuko said, not so much as to reassure Kazan, but himself.

Azula looked up from where she was leaning against the wall. Zuko noticed that her arms were chained together behind her back and that Ming was close by her side looking irritated.

"This is not part of my duties," Ming said as soon as she saw Zuko approach.

"It is now," was all Zuko said. He was not in the mood for bickering. Gazing about him, all he saw was Azula, Ming, Kazan, and a few guards by the cell door – but not the people he was waiting for.

"Oh they'll be here Zu-Zu," Azula said with a smirk when she saw Zuko's confused face. "They went to go get prepared. Why don't you go inside and warm him up a bit and they'll be back when you need them."

Zuko glared at her, trying to decide whether she was planning something or not, before saying, "Ming, Kazan, I want you watching her at all times. Make sure she doesn't plan anything funny."

Ming and Kazan responded by edging closer to either side of Azula, who's smirk widened.

"Open the door," Zuko ordered to the guards on either side of the cell.

Obediently, they drew the metal door open so that Zuko was allowed into the first half of the cell that was split in the middle by metal bars. Scrunched into a ball at the corner on the opposite side of the bars was Zuko's father, Ozai.

He was a mess. He was thinner, his hair and beard longer and tangled. His face was hidden within the unruly mess of his hair and his brown, patchy robe, but there was no mistaking his voice beneath the rags.

"Come to try again, have you?" his father asked. There was no denying the sneer in his voice.

"Don't you have enough dignity left to turn around and face me?" Zuko asked gruffly.

Ozai laughed hoarsely. "I do have enough dignity – enough dignity to remain as I am and refuse to acknowledge the succession of a weak Fire Lord such as yourself."

Zuko crossed his legs and sat in front of the immobile sack that was once his father. "I've always been the 'weak one', haven't I? But now, who is the weak one, you or me? You've lost your Firebending thanks to Aang, and your prodigy has lost her mind in a mental institution. You would never admit defeat, because to show any sort of humility is beneath you. I, on the other hand, admit my mistakes, and those of the Fire Nation, in order to admit an era of peace that the world has not known for over a century." Zuko shook his head. "No, father, you have always been the weak one, not me."

Ozai rose slowly from his position in the back corner of the cell. His eyes wild, he turned toward Zuko with a grimace. "If you're so strong then, do what you know _must_ be done – torture me – lash the truth from me. Because otherwise, you'll never find out where you're mother is – and even then, I'm not sure I'll be so kind as to divulge the information for you."

Zuko's mouth twitched, but he said, "I would never sink so low as to torture you, like you once did your prisoners and your family. But, there are other ways to get what I want."

Ozai's eyes widened slightly, but his mouth remained rigid. "What are you talking about?"

"Father, please just tell me where mother is. Where did you banish her? Is she even still alive? Tell me and I won't have to do this!"

"What _is_ 'this'?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Please! Tell me where she is! This is your last chance!"

"No," Ozai said in a low voice. "Find her yourself – but I wouldn't bother. By now, she's probably already dead and gone!" Ozai laughed, as Zuko stood abruptly and walked backwards toward the closed metal door.

"Then you leave me no choice," he murmured.

Zuko knocked on the metal door behind him and said, "We're ready."

The door slid open behind him. In entered a tan man in a floor-length, long-sleeved green and beige robe with a circle-like design on the front. His brown hair was tied back behind him in a braid and he wore a conical green hat on his head. In his left hand dangled a strange sort of glass lantern.

"How long will this take?" Zuko asked the man quietly.

"As long as it takes," the man replied, as he approached the bars in the center of the room.

"Who are you?" Ozai said it a voice tinged with apprehension.

"I'm your friend," the man replied. And then he leaned forward, placed his lantern on the ground, straightened, and moved his arms.

The stone floor shifted beneath Ozai so that he was pushed up close to the bars. Then, the ground rose above him so that he was upright and sitting, with his legs and hands bound in stone bracers, in a chair that looked almost like a throne.

"What are you doing? Get me out of here!" Ozai bellowed, struggling within the iron grip of the throne.

The man made no response, instead just outstretching his hand and slowly clasping his fingers together. From the corner of Ozais's cheek, a stone band appeared and wrapped around to the other side of his face, effectively shutting his mouth. With another whip of the man's arms, stone erupted from the floor in a perfect circle around Ozai. Zuko watched in awe as the man created spokes in the floor for the circular band of stone to rest on and then indent the stone inward along the band so that it represented some sort of track. In fact, the whole contraption looked like a strange sort of bridge.

Ozai continued to struggle futilely in his throne, eyeing the strange contraption around him like in might strangle him.

The man retrieved his lantern and Zuko noticed for the first time that the bottom of the lantern was shaped so that it would sit within the groove that the man had made in the bridge. Once he secured it to the track, the man lit the lantern and took a step back with his hands clasped behind him.

"Fire Lord Zuko," the man said, without turning to look at him.

"Yes?"

"You may want to leave, in case you are affected by what I'm about to do."

"He will not be harmed?"

"No. You should leave now."

The man moved his hands once in a circle-like motion in front of him, before returning them to their original position behind his back. Slowly, the lantern started moving around the track he had created. It moved once, twice, three times around Ozai and it didn't stop, like Earth's revolutions around the sun. Ozai's eyes widened, his eyebrows straining up into his forehead so that they were lost in his ruffled hair. But despite his protestations, Ozai's eyes never left the revolving lantern around him.

Zuko knocked on the door behind him and it opened. He slipped through the crack in the door just as he heard the man say, "You will tell us where your wife is."

"Effective, aren't they?"

Zuko turned to see Azula, still leaning against the wall, the leer still clear across her face. "You can see why they made such effective allies during my days in Ba Sing Se," she said.

Zuko didn't reply, just looked around to see three other former Dai Li agents standing with their arms clasped behind them, much like the man in the room behind him. At Zuko's wish, King Kuei of the Earth Kingdom had sent a few of the disbanded Dai Li agents, ones who were known for their hypnotism, to help Zuko. Although in the letter Zuko received back from Kuei assured Zuko that the group had been dissolved and that many of their key figures, like their former leader Long Feng, were imprisoned, Zuko still couldn't trust the men before him now. Their fighting skills were formidable and the things that they did under the direction of Azula were hard to look past. His stomach rolled at the mere fact that it was under his orders that the Dai Li were here tonight, orders that his manipulative sister Azula fed him. In fact, it was hard to look at anyone here now. He wanted to be anywhere else but here.

"Kazan," Zuko said.

The man turned from his position next to Azula and said, "Yes, Your Honor?"

"As soon as they get any information from my father, anything at all, I want you to come to me immediately and tell me. I don't care if it's in the middle of the night. Do you understand?"

Kazan bowed and said, "Of course, Fire Lord."

"Ming, take Azula back when this is over," Zuko said, rounding on her.

"Yes Fire Lord," Ming said, and she too bowed.

With that, Zuko stalked past them all, a few guards following him in his wake. He rubbed his temples, wishing very much that he could be alone for once without the required entourage around him at all times. He needed space. He needed to think. He needed his Uncle.

_What have I done?_, he thought.

* * *

Azula lounged back against the wall, staring at the torch on the wall of the prison in front of her. She amused herself by squinting her eyes and concentrating on the flame so that it rose and diminished at her will. Smiling, she blew a piece of hair away from her face and thought that soon she would be able to control fire about her without the use of her arms. That soon, she would once again be the greatest Firebender on the planet.

She stopped her thoughts and glanced about her, paranoid that someone could have guessed what she was thinking. Kazan was talking to one of the guards, occasionally eyeing Azula to make sure that she wasn't up to anything. Ming had decided to take up residence on the floor, sitting with her hands on her knees and her eyes half-closed. Azula suspected that she had learned the trick to catch some sleep but still be vigilant while she was a guard here. To Azula's relief, no one had noticed her playing with the torch fire or seemed to be paying close attention to her at all. She liked it this way.

It had been nearly a half an hour since Zuko left, and already twice, new Dai Li agents had exchanged places with the man in the room. They were taking ten minute shifts to see which one of them would have the greatest affect on her father. But it didn't matter. In time, even the once great Phoenix King would break, Azula thought idly. And then, Zuko and her would be off. The thought made her smile.

"It's strange to see you like this."

Azula twisted her head to see the man who had decided to lean on the wall next to her. She recognized him as one of the Dai Li agents from Ba Sing Se, and the first one to try hypnotizing the information out of her father. She didn't know his name, nor did she very much care. Instead, she shrugged and said, "I know it won't be forever. I'll find a way out."

"You don't seem to be afraid of your future."

"I'm not – as soon as one of you extracts the information from my father, my brother and I will be off looking for my mother."

"In Ba Sing Se, I got the impression that you don't care about anyone – only your lust for power."

"I don't care about anyone – least of all my mother. She wasn't much of anything, she never cared for me… she was just there."

"Then why go with your brother to find her?"

"Because as much as she ignored me while I was a child, that much and more she now haunts me as an adult. And I won't rest soundly again, or think straight again, or see properly again until she's gone."

"Gone, Princess?"

"Yes gone. Although this little trip will provide plenty of opportunities for escape, for now, escape is not my objective. Because, when I get there, when I see my mother's pretty sympathetic face again, I'm not going to smile and run up and hug her like Zuko." Azula shook her head. The Dai Li agent next to her turned to look at her with a flat face, except for the tinge of a smile at the corners of his lips. A fierce smile spread across Azula's features as she turned to look at him, still shaking her head.

"No," she said slowly. "I'm going to see her…"

And her manic grin grew…

"And then I'm going to kill her."

* * *

_**Author's Note: **__OMFGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. THIS IS SO LONG. !*$*(#%&)^%! THIS TOOK FOREEEVVVVER. UGH. –headdesk, headdesk, headdesk-_

_ Phew, now that I got that out of my system… time for a real author's comment! -sweatdrop- So the last part of this chapter might sound a little rushed – not all of it is exactly to my perfection, but whatever. I wanted to get this done before I left for this trip I'm going on and before college crap starts getting in the way. Sorry for the wait for this particular chapter update, but you might have to learn to expect that from me because, one, I'm a slow writer, and two, I write a TON. Plus, with college coming up soon, updates are going to become slower, unfortunately. I'll try my best though. But I promise you, the story is a pretty solid one, if I do say so myself, and I think that will keep me going on, unlike my previous fanfiction. _

_ About this chapter in particular, it was _supposed_ to be much shorter… but look how that turned out? Not only is it longer than the last chapter, but I had to take out a scene I had been planning to include from the beginning because I decided that it was unnecessary for this chapter. Plus, I decided that I wanted to write some in Azula's POV. Dude, it's so FUN to be in her head! I really hope that I was able to stay true to her character – she, like Zuko, is a very complex one. Originally, the part with Sokka getting his sword back was supposed to be in a different chapter altogether, but I added it to this one because, like the cheese I am, I had to have a goodbye scene with Zuko and co! -sniff- Unfortunately, that's the last lighthearted scene in the entire chapter practically… then you get to a lot of seriousness. This chapter's full of it, sorry. = But I imagine Zuko's new life as Fire Lord must be full of schedules and order and not a lot of fun things. Poor boy. I bet he's really missing the Gaang now. XD_

_ The Site, or "Sacred Fire" was, in part, influenced by _Shutter Island_, but based off of the "Avatar Wikia" site, Azula was indeed taken to a mental institution on a small island outside the Capital City. Furthermore, when you walk into the Site, it's supposed to look and feel like the high walls of a cathedral, but I didn't describe it like that because I'm pretty sure there are no churches in the world of Avatar! Haha. _

_ Well, that's all I have to say for now! I really hope you like the update! Comments really make my day and really help me with my writing! Thank you guys! _


	4. Episode 3: Blue

_**Before You Read and Disclaimer: **__This chapter of _Avatar: The Last Airbender, Book 4: Air_, will be from the third-person point of view of __**Sokka **__and __**Katara**__ respectively. A __**line through the page **__will indicate a POV change. When you see this: __**8-8**__, this means that we are still in the same POV, so don't be confused! I do not own _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ – it belongs solely to Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, and Nickelodeon. _

_**Episode 3**_

**Blue**

It was times like this where he missed Aang's and Toph's distractions.

The moon was nothing but a small grinning crescent in the sky. The new moon was a few nights ago, when they were leaving the port at Omashu. Katara threw a fit on nights like those, for her waterbending powers diminished ever-so-slightly. Sokka didn't notice it really; she was still able to water-whip someone with astonishing strength and accuracy (he could contest to that). What he didn't tell Katara was that he secretly liked new moon days. The absence of the moon usually meant the absence of his guilt. Now, seeing the moon smiling down at him from the night sky brought back the jumbled mix of emotions that he could not kick aside. As he stared upward, it wasn't the moon's light he saw, but Yue's face smiling down at him. He closed his eyes and shook his head. Yue's face disappeared, only to be replaced by a winking and grinning Suki. He missed her so much – he wondered if she was doing okay at Kyoshi Island. When would he see her again? Would he ever?

Ugh! Where was Toph to smack him in the head when he needed it?

Sokka grimaced, slouching over the railing of the wooden Southern Water Tribe ship. He was in no mood for such heavy thoughts. He was an ambassador now; he was going to help his father rebuild his home back to… its former glory. But, come to think of it, Sokka had no idea what the Southern Water Tribe's "former glory" even was. Was it like the Northern Water Tribe at one point? Or was its style different? What was it like to have Waterbenders, besides Katara, back home? Sokka shook his head unsure. It was going to be different – everything was going to change. But it was still home, and he would do his best to keep it that way.

Sokka pulled his old Water Tribe winter cloak around him tighter. They were nearing the arctic pole now. Already, he could see small icebergs under the water and his breath began to frost in front of his face. The cold would, normally, not affect him, but leaving the hot summer weather of Ba Sing Se made the crisp air around him seem abnormally frigid. He shivered and turned to the side. His mouth dropped.

"Hawky! Oh man," Sokka cried, dropping to his knees.

The messenger hawk had hopped to Sokka's side, shivering all over. His eyes seemed ten times too big and the tips of his wings were frosted over. Tiny icicles protruded from his beak.

Sokka grabbed Hawky around his back, opened his cloak, and stuffed him inside. Sokka could feel Hawky nuzzle against his bare chest and ruffle his feathers so that he could warm up. Suddenly, Sokka was clutching his fists at his side and bouncing up and down, his face contorted into a mix between a lopsided grin and a grimace, his eyebrows shot up into his forehead, and his eyes squinting and watering. Not only was Hawky _really cold_, but his feathers tickled him all over and it was taking all off his strength not to laugh and throw Hawky from his cloak.

"Sokka, what are you doing?"

Sokka jumped and turned, trying to keep his face flat, but he couldn't keep his mouth from twitching. Hawky had moved in alarm inside his cloak when Sokka jumped, increasing the tickling to a frequency that Sokka was finding hard to control.

"Heh – chiitt – Nothing – heee – Katara," Sokka managed between suppressed snorts and giggles when he saw Katara frowning at him.

Katara cocked her head and eyed Sokka's bulging chest. "What's that?"

"Heeee – Nothing! Hehe, I swear! Eerrrr, heeee, What do you need Katara?"

"I just wanted to tell you that the Captain told me that we should be home by tomorrow morning. Normally, we'd get there by late tonight, but these underwater icebergs are becoming a nuisance. Luckily, he told me he's good at maneuvering his way around them," Katara explained, not taking her eyes off of Sokka's chest.

Sokka put one arm back to lean nonchalantly against the railing of the ship, but Hawky began to move again and Sokka did his best to suppress the tears coming out of the corners of his eyes. "Pffft – that's good, right?"

"Sokka, what's under your coat?"

"It's nothing! Hehe… nothing!" Sokka looked at his surroundings. "Haaaaa – Can't wait to get home – eeee – can you?"

Katara didn't answer. Instead, she thrust out her hand and attacked Sokka's coat.

"What are you doing?!" Sokka yelled, shielding his cloak with his hands and doing his best to keep Katara from getting in. Hawky moved again, the tips of his feathers tinkling every inch of bare skin. His claws scrapped Sokka's belly as Hawky tried to balance inside Sokka's cloak. Sokka faltered and Katara's quick hands peeled back the opening of his coat to expose Hawky's harried-looking head.

"Sokka!" Katara chastised. "Take Hawky out of your coat!"

"He was cold! What was I supposed to do?" Sokka asked.

"You should of done what I asked you to do before we left Ba Sing Se: send Hawky back to Toph's parents in Gaoling!"

"No! He's not going back there! Hawky's my best friend!"

"And what is Aang? Chopped possum-chicken?!" Katara screamed, raising her arms and pushing her frenzied face in front of Sokka's. Sokka's eyes widened as her face came within a few inches of his nose, a face that he hadn't bothered to really look at since they left Omashu. Dark lines outlined her eyes and her eyes themselves were red at the corners. Pieces of hair escaped her carefully woven braid in the back and her hair loopies. Her lips were rigid and chapped. Sokka realized then that, perhaps it was not just the night of the new moon that irked Katara… perhaps it had been this whole trip home. And he was so caught up in his own ponderings that he barely paid attention to his sister's.

"I never said anything about Aang," Sokka said. He twitched again as Hawky readjusted himself inside his coat, so that it looked like Hawky was watching him from below, before continuing. "What's wrong with you? You look horrible and you water-whipped me the other day for borrowing your water scrolls."

"You never asked me!" she accused.

"I was studying them to improve my swordsmanship! Plus, knowing about them might help me understand more about our people Katara. I'm going to be helping dad out, after all. Anyway, even if I didn't ask, I don't think that calls for you to _water-whip_ me! Look!" Sokka bent over and pulled down his pants to reveal part of his left butt-cheek. It was bright red. Sokka stared at it with big, regretful eyes. "Now I can't sit right anymore!"

"It's not that bad," Katara said, glancing at the red mark with a mix of guilt and revulsion. "And pull your pants up!"

Sokka did so, glaring at her.

"Okay, so maybe it's a little bad," Katara relented. "But you could've asked. And take that bird out of your coat before he chokes!"

"He's not choking! He's warming up!" But when Sokka looked down, he saw Hawky's tongue lolling out of his beak and his eyes, once again, bigger than normal.

"Stop squeezing your coat together at the side – that's what's making him do that," Katara pointed out.

Sokka released his jacket between his clenched fists and watched Hawky breathe again and rustle inside his jacket. Sokka laughed as his feathers once again tickled his skin.

"Sokka, what are we going to do with him? He's a Fire Nation bird. This cold weather isn't good for him. And you don't take care of him either! You almost forgot him at Omashu! If he didn't come flying back to you after Zuko's ship left…"

"I take good care of him! Right Hawky?"

Hawky turned his head up to Sokka and then pecked lightly at Sokka's chest.

"Ow!" Sokka said, flinching. "That was just a _one time_ thing!"

"Seriously Sokka, I think it's best that we let Hawky go back to Gaoling. You can always visit him or maybe even send for Hawky when you need him, right?"

"But how would I send for him if I don't have a messenger hawk?" Sokka protested.

Katara gave him an irritated look. Sokka sighed and looked down to see Hawky gazing up at him with his luminous gold eyes. Sokka's bottom lip quavered and Katara put a hand on his shoulder. "It's time to let him go."

"But I feel like he only just came back to me. When will I see him again?" Sokka whined, his eyes big and tearing.

Katara smiled sorrowfully. "You'll see him again, I promise. Hawky won't forget you."

Sokka sighed again and peeled open the folds of his jacket. Hawky jumped out and landed on Sokka's outstretched arm, puffing up and fluffing his tousled feathers.

"Bye Hawky. I promise I'll come visit you as often as I can… whenever I'm in warmer areas…" Sokka sniffed and scratched behind Hawky's neck. "Now you should go back to Toph's house, okay? Go back there and say hi to her for us."

Hawky cocked his head.

"Just go Hawky!" Sokka said forcefully, bottom lip quivering. "I know you don't want to, but you have to. I love you man."

Hawky seemed to nod his head. Sokka raised his arm up to the sky and Hawky flew up into the chilly air. There, he caught a gust of air and glided north. In only a minute's time, he was swallowed up by the night.

Sokka watched him go regretfully. He hated himself for it, but Katara was right. The South Pole was no place for a bird of summer. In fact, to Sokka's dismay, Katara had this annoying habit of almost always being right.

Sokka turned his head to look at his sister. He saw her profile, still looking up into the sky after Hawky. There was a slight haggard look to her now, as if she had been wrestling with some problem.

"So, what's up with you and Aang?" Sokka asked, eyeing his sister.

Katara flushed and wheeled so quickly to face Sokka that he almost missed the movement.

"What do you mean?" she asked guardedly.

Sokka was surprised by the reaction and confused why she was asking him "what he meant". Wasn't it obvious? She had just thrown his name into the conversation out of nowhere. But why?

"I mean, you know Aang's one of my best friends, right? You don't have to get all defensive about it and all."

Katara's natural color returned to her face and she seemed to exhale somewhat. Sokka noted the curious act, but, out of a stroke of ingenuity, Sokka realized the truth. Girls could be so tricky sometimes, but Sokka prided himself on being pretty good at reading them, especially after living with his sister for so long.

"Ah ha! I get it!" Sokka said, sticking his index finger up into the air triumphantly. Katara's eyes widened somewhat and she took a step back. "You miss him! I mean, he was like your second brother, right? Part of the family?"

Katara's mouth dropped and her eyebrows furrowed. Sokka figured it was because she was shocked at how well he was able to deduce her emotions. Mentally, he dusted himself off as a job well done.

"Yeah," Katara said as she nodded slowly and strode past Sokka to rest her arms on the ship railing. She sighed and stared out into the sparkling moonlit ocean. "He was part of the family, and I miss him a lot. I mean, a _real_ lot."

Katara paused, then added quickly, "Of course, I miss Toph a lot too. And Zuko, I guess. They were all our family. But, I mean, Aang was with us from the beginning, so, oh, I don't know. I'm just worried he'll mess up on his first job as a true 'Avatar' when we're not there. He's still pretty young."

Sokka went over to lean on the railing next to her. "You know, he's done a lot of growing up. He's a really smart kid. Weird at times, but smart. And, on the whole age thing, he's already defeated a crazy Fire Master… I'm sure he can deal with this city's problems. For him, I'm sure it'll be a relief and a piece of cake!"

Katara smiled. "Thanks Sokka. I worry too much." Katara twisted her head so that she was looking at Sokka sidelong. "I know you miss Suki. I see you staring at the moon far too often now and that means you're thinking about two people in particular."

"Yeah," Sokka said. "But it's not like we can go visit them now… we have a job to do."

Katara nodded. "What do you think it'll be like? Returning home after all this time?"

Sokka shrugged. "Cold… and white, I'd imagine."

"You know what I meant."

Sokka sighed. "I don't know. Different and the same. Dad, Gran Gran, and Pakku will be there, so that's something to look forward to. We won't be alone."

"I'm… afraid," Katara admitted, looking down. "Afraid everything will be totally different and that I won't recognize anything anymore. What if I'm not good enough for this job as… ambassador?"

"If you're not good at it, then I'm in trouble," Sokka said sarcastically. "Look, Katara, you've always been good at almost anything. Except, I still think your cooking is a bit… iffy."

Katara gave him a sour look.

"But, you're focused and dedicated, that's why you do well. Both of our jobs are going to be new to us, but if you put that same focus and dedication into your work as you do with other things, you don't need to worry because you'll do great. I know it."

Katara turned, smiled, and hugged Sokka. "Thanks, I really appreciate that," she whispered to him.

"Anytime."

"Oh and," Katara said, as she withdrew. "Don't put yourself down so much. You're also good at many things too, Sokka. You're the most creative person ever. You and dad are going to rebuild our home into something fantastic."

"I know," Sokka said, grinning, as Katara slapped him half-heartedly in the shoulder.

8-8

The sun rose the following day, and with it, about a dozen ships.

Sokka had seen huge port cities before, back in the days when they had lived day-by-day off of Appa's back. But this many ships, at the Southern Water tribe? It was unheard of.

Now, at the coast of the icy tundra, a port city was emerging. Docking stations had been erected out of the snow for the ships while smaller boats traveled in the waters carrying crates and other items between the ships and the coast. In front of the coast and the ship port, a partway completed icy wall emerged from the waters, much like the wall bordering the Northern Water Tribe. Staring back toward shore, Sokka saw hordes of people running about between the old tents of the Southern Water Tribe and the new circular-like houses built from the snow around them. Others were clearing out a canal parting down the middle of the village. And still more stood atop the high walls on either side of Sokka and Katara's approaching ship, adding more and more ice and snow.

Sokka could barely recognize his home. It was nothing like the little village that he grew up in. It was gone, replaced with people he didn't know and places and things he had never seen before. His heart pounded as the boat neared a docking station. Suddenly, a hand clasped his and he saw his sister appear by his side, staring forward at this new place before them. He grinned and squeezed her hand. They were both nervous, but they would get through it together.

A tiny boat appeared in front of their ship, one man waving and directing his arms to the appropriate place to dock while another man, a Waterbender, directed the currents and waves beneath the boat, both powering and steering it. After guiding them to the correct spot, crew members from the ship began hastily making preparations – gathering up the crates of Sokka's and Katara's things and other supplies, putting away the ship's mast, and then lowering the plank to the dock.

Crew members descended the plank as Sokka and Katara remained frozen at the top. When the crowd disappeared and the two of them could see down to the dock, familiar faces, along with some new ones, stared up at them.

"Gran Gran!" Katara shouted, sprinting down the plank with her arms outstretched.

"Katara!" Gran Gran said, catching Katara in her arms and brushing back her hair with her fingers. "Oh, I've missed you so."

"Dad!" Sokka bellowed excitedly, as he, too, ran down the plank and hugged his father.

"Sokka - it hasn't been _that_ long, has it?" his father joked, patting him on the back.

"Guess not, but it's still good to see you," Sokka said, releasing his father and staring around at their welcome party. Katara had also withdrawn from Gran Gran and was talking animatedly to Pakku beside her. But, besides the three of them, two others that Sokka did not recognize stood somewhat to the side of the party, watching Katara and him with curious eyes.

Hakoda made a forced cough-like sound and Katara and Sokka turned to look at him. Kanna and Pakku also turned, smiling.

"Sokka, Katara, thank you for coming so quickly once you received your message. We've been waiting for you," Hakoda said.

"You have?" Katara asked.

"Of course. It is in _you_, the younger generation, that we put the hope for the restoration of the Southern Water Tribe in. You two are more important than you think."

Sokka felt his insides roll as he and Katara exchanged hesitant glances.

"We'll do our best, dad," Sokka said.

Hakoda grinned and laid a giant hand on Sokka's shoulder. Sokka did his best not to stumble over.

"That's what I like to hear. From this point forward, you two will be the Southern Water Tribe's _Junior_ Ambassadors!"

Sokka and Katara's jaws dropped. Sokka was the first to recover and said, "Whaaaat?"

Hakoda smiled sympathetically and looked over at Pakku, who smirked. Katara's eyes narrowed at him. "The message said that Sokka and I would be _Ambassadors_, not _Junior_ Ambassadors."

Pakku grinned. "Katara, think of this as another test of your waterbending prowess. And I am well aware of what Chief Arnook's letter said, for he sent me something similar explaining the plans he has in store for your brother and you. However, after talking with your father, I think that the title of 'Ambassador' must be _earned_ not _given_."

"And what makes you think we haven't earned it?" Sokka asked defensively.

Pakku inclined his head toward Sokka. "True, you have watched after the Avatar and helped him on his quest and, true, you've been, abstractly, a part of some major political decisions. However, I don't think that exactly qualifies you to be full Southern Water Tribe Ambassadors, do you?"

Sokka gritted his teeth and seethed. Katara, on the other hand, seemed to lose it.

"How _could_ you?!" Katara shouted, walking up to Pakku and thrusting her arms in his face. "Sokka's nearly sixteen and I think I've been even more of an adult than him sometimes!"

Sokka turned to look at her, his face drooping. "Hey!" She ignored him.

"Already, both of us have seen things that would make even _you_ squirm! What gives you the right to go against Chief Arnook's orders?"

"Katara!" Gran Gran said, aghast, but Pakku raised a hand to silence her. "Actually…" he said, turning to Hakoda.

Slowly, Sokka and Katara moved to face their father. He wore a bashful face, as he rubbed his head nervously, saying, "Well, _Pakku_ convinced me…"

"But you made the decision," Sokka said in disbelief.

Hakoda sighed and said, "Look, kids, he's right. You need some training before you become full ambassadors. Like Pakku said, think of this as a test. If you succeed, you'll be full Southern Water Tribe Ambassadors in about a year or so…"

"A year?" Sokka said, shocked. "But dad… don't you trust us?"

"More than anything, Sokka, but…"

Pakku interrupted. "You need training. And here's how you'll get it. Chief Hakoda, if you please."

Hakoda nodded and gestured to indicate the two men who had been standing silently off to the side the whole time. Sokka had nearly forgotten about them.

"This is Northern Water Tribe's Anyu, former local advisor to Chief Arnook. At only seventeen, he's already a Waterbending Master and has solved major issues in the Kantu community of the Northern Water Tribe. Katara, he will be your advisor."

Sokka watched as one of the two men stepped forward. His stomach dropped. He was the better-looking of the two by far – clean shaven, his brown hair swept across his forehead with two beaded strands one either side of his face near his ears. His eyes were a bright blue that watched Katara with interest. Already, Sokka disliked him. When he turned to measure Katara's reaction, she looked taken-aback.

"It's an honor to meet you Katara," Anyu said, bowing. "Pakku has told me amazing stories about your waterbending skills. A master at only fourteen? Something I thought I'd have to see to believe. But, watching you just now, I don't have to see you waterbend to know that you are not a foe to be reckoned with."

"Um…" Katara hesitated, then said, "Thank you. It'll be my pleasure to work with you."

Sokka's mouth dropped. _Traitor! _Was she just going to admit defeat in front of an, admittedly, handsome guy? Sokka frowned and looked at Anyu, who was flashing Katara a stunning grin that made Sokka sick.

"And this is Northern Water Tribe's Chu, Chief Arnook's steward."

Sokka turned and tried not to gape or make an aghast face, but it was hard not to. The man who stepped forward was so lanky that his knees seemed unable to support the rest of him. He wobbled to Sokka, hunched forward and sniffing in snot. His face was pockmarked and red from previous scars, even though he was definitely older than twenty-two. When he smiled at Sokka and flipped the tangled brown locks of hair from his face, Sokka noticed he was missing a tooth and that many teeth were crooked.

"Chu has been at Chief Arnook's beck-and-call everyday for the past ten years. He has seen and been a part of some major political decisions and is a… um, self-proclaimed penguin whisperer. Sokka, he will be your advisor."

"Pleasure to meet you Sokka," Chu said in a choking, nasally voice.

Sokka gave a forced grin and talked through his teeth, "Likewise."

"Tonight, we'll be honoring the two of you and your new advisors at a small banquet. Right now, Gran Gran, Pakku, and I will show you to our new homes. Follow me."

Sokka stood still and watched as Pakku, Gran Gran, and his father turned and made their way off the dock and to their new "home". Katara walked on behind them, closely followed by Anyu, who was still smiling and giving her looks.

"I have a headache," Sokka said to no one in particular.

"Oh! I think I have something for that in here… Chief Arnook used to get them all the time… let's see," Chu replied as he rummaged through his coat and started to pull out an assortment of items, including leaves, herbs, papers, scrolls, bound books, tea cups, jars with bark, water jugs, and handkerchiefs. Then he sneezed and used one of the handkerchiefs he was holding in his hand to wipe off the snot.

"Seems I forgot the remedy to that, I'm afraid," he said woefully. "But you could borrow this." He held out the handkerchief to Sokka.

Sokka smacked his forehead. It just made his headache worse.

* * *

It was nothing like the extravagance of the Northern Water Tribe's celebrations, but it was still amazing in its own right.

The party was anything but "small." Everyone seemed to want to attend the "Welcome Home Junior Ambassador Party!" (true, the name still grated Katara, but she promised to prove herself sooner rather than later). The best part was that many of the people who were attending were people she spent her childhood with: Kavan, her father's old friend, to the right of her father at the end of the long banquet table, was screeching at the top of his lungs about the time he saved them all from a huge whale while they were on a mission to infiltrate a Fire Nation port in the southernmost area of the Earth Kingdom. His scruffy beard dripped with a bluish liquid that could only be the Northern Water Tribe's special concoction, simply known as "Water Wine." Katara knew Kavan would lose more than his voice later in the night at the rate he was going. At the other end of the table sat her grandmother, Pakku, and other old friends, including Rarool, Koda, and Narda. They sat talking animatedly among each other, Gran Gran often at the center of the conversation. The great thing about the banquet was not only the fact that anyone could join in and leave when they wanted to, but that everyone contributed something. Some served, others cooked, while still others cleaned. Even her father joined in the cooking. Everyone but Katara and Sokka offered something, for they were the guests of honor. It made Katara smile thinking about how different the attitudes of the Southern Water Tribe were from the Northern Water Tribe; everyone here was treated equally.

However, many unfamiliar faces roamed the party as well, most of them emigrants from the Northern Water Tribe. Across the table from Katara, girls about the same age as her giggled and laughed together over a flurry of topics that Katara could not keep up with. It irritated her that due to the long poverty of the Southern Water Tribe and her journey with Aang, she missed a lot of what consisted of "typical" teenage girl experiences. And of course, the highlight of their conversation was boys. Most of the time they were looking at the guy Anyu sitting to her right, whispering comments and eyeing him, but never asking him anything directly. Instead, they focused on inquiring Sokka, sitting to Katara's left, about everything that had to do with the Southern Water Tribe.

"So what did you guys do for fun here? I mean, you all lived in tents didn't you? How did you survive?" asked Kira, a girl with squinty eyes and a pinched nose, her hair pinned up in a bob behind her head.

"Yeah - what did you guys do for fun?" mirrored Kira's twin, Mira.

"Fish," Sokka answered immediately, eyeing the girls.

"Fish? That's it? What kind of hobby is that?" said another girl, Lyanna, who constantly twirled her many braids in one hand while bringing different braids to her mouth to chew on with the other.

"But have you ever seen the size of the fish we have here?" Sokka asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder to point down the table toward their father.

Indeed it was a mighty sight. Katara had been to some fancy feasts in her time, but this was unlike anything the Southern Water tribe had ever prepared. There were giant pots of sizzling stew with crisp onions, seaweed, and sea crab, sea prunes layered with lemon juice and pickled radishes, roasted fish, shaved-ice lime-juice, seaweed wrapped gull, and flamed arctic hen, battered in layers of herbs, spices, and sea cow cream - so juicy, the skin simply fell off. But the main course, the one Sokka was pointing to, was a mammoth-size trout-seal, a usually huge gold and blue-speckled fish, but this one was so charred it was a toasty brown color that left the fish already three-fourths devoured; nothing left but a carcass of bone.

"_You _caught that?" Lyanna asked, unconvinced.

"Well, not _that_ one," Sokka said, frowning. "But I often caught ones that size in my day… and they're no easy thing to catch. It sometimes takes the whole day to catch just one of those babies." Sokka leaned back in his chair and gave the girls a knowing look, while they looked at each other and nodded in approval.

Katara snorted and rolled her eyes. "Oh please Sokka. The best thing you've ever caught in _your day_ was a guppy, if even that. I was the one who did most of the fishing."

"_Katara_," Sokka breathed through the corner of his mouth, before turning back to the girls. "Yeah, Katara did a lot of fishing, but she caught the small stuff with her waterbending. The _real_ fish comes from the skills of a master fisherman! Only the _real_ pros can catch a fish like that!"

At that moment, a tall, stocky man with an unruly beard and beady eyes stomped into the banquet pavilion from an open air hallway that led to the kitchens. Slung over his shoulder was another enormous trout-seal, the same size or even bigger than the one on the table.

"Eh, Hakoda! Want 'nother for the party? Found 'is one beached o'er by the cold water spring. All I 'ad to do was hit 'em with this 'ere hammer and 'is all 'eady to go!" he exclaimed, smiling so broadly, his chins became two.

"Er, no thanks Barook. We're probably good for the rest of the night. Good ahead and freeze that one for later and come out to enjoy the festivities!" Hakoda replied, waving his arm over, signaling him to join them.

"Sounds great!" Barook said, bounding back toward the kitchen, the trout-seal thumping against his back.

Sokka turned slowly back to the girls, grinning sheepishly, while the girls returned a look that can only be described as the face of a mother's disapproval.

Lyanna turned to Katara then, smoothing out her braids in her fingers. "You went fishing? Girls don't fish."

Katara's eyes widened as she stared at her, dumbfounded for a brief moment, before remembering the rather sexist culture of the Northern Water Tribe. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves and telling herself that these girls did not know any better, she said, "Here, girls do anything boys do. We fish, hunt, and fight together."

Lyanna's eyes were as huge as marbles and her teeth sunk into her braid. Kira obtained a rather bemused look and said, "Fish are so… sticky and gross. Girl's shouldn't touch such things."

Katara's patience was running thin. These kinds of conversations were not her forte. She hated it whenever people told her what she could and could not do.

"I catch fish. I also can gut and skin them with a knife. I used to pinch off their eyes and rip out their bones and then cook its flesh over a fire for food while we were on the road. And you know what else I can do?" Katara's voice rose and became shrill as she bent across the table toward the girls. "I can waterbend and send someone ten times bigger than me reeling fifty feet away. I can swim and skate on water - I can help women birth babies - I can use my own sweat to waterbend!"

"_Katara_," Sokka warned under his breath.

Katara ignored him, too worked-up to care. "And you know what else? I can even blood-"

"Okaaaaaaay!" Sokka interrupted, patting Katara on the shoulder and pulling her back into her seat. "I think they get it."

Katara blinked and noticed that the three girls were staring at her, mouths wide in shock. Lyanna's braid fell from her mouth.

_Aw man. I overdid it_, Katara thought, trying to figure out a way to remedy the situation, for it was not only the girls who were looking strangely at her. Others, at both ends of the table, had stopped their conversations to take a look.

"You waterbended your own sweat?"

Katara turned to see Anyu staring at her with his luminous blue eyes that seemed to reflect the light off of every blue-flamed torch around the pavilion back at her. They were ice that seemed to freeze her gaze in place. Distantly, she realized that this was the first time Anyu had actually left his other conversations to turn and address them.

Katara blinked and looked past his eyes to one of the flickering torches behind Anyu. Somehow the torch fire seemed to melt the ice of his gaze away and she could feel the air waft around her again.

"Yes, actually," Katara finally said. "My friend and I were stuck in a jail cell -"

"You were in jail?" Mira remarked.

Katara continued as if she heard nothing, "- made of wood. Neither of us could use our bending skills in a wooden prison - or so we thought. I just utilized the resources we had."

Anyu nodded. "Quite resourceful. I'm impressed. Although a lady would never have gotten herself imprisoned in the first place," he said raising an eyebrow.

Katara wasn't sure if he was being serious or playful. As a matter of fact, it was difficult to read Anyu's intentions one way or the other. In the whole eight-something hours Katara had had to get to know Anyu, she couldn't figure out whether Anyu was constantly complimenting her or mocking her. That and the way he looked at her made her uneasy, but she didn't show it. He was supposed to be her advisor after all.

"It was kind of hard to stay out of jail when the whole Fire Nation was looking for us," Katara retorted.

"Well, weren't you wearing disguises? And, why would the Avatar want to travel anywhere near a Fire Nation village? That's just unwise."

"Well excuse me if we were hungry and needed to risk getting caught for food!" Katara snapped.

"Never foraged for food before?"

"Plenty of times! What do you think Sokka and I did here for most of our lives? Every day was spent looking for food!"

"Why risk a village then?"

Katara frowned and clenched her teeth to keep from shouting. She didn't want to tell him that it was her idea to get throw in jail in the first place; a scheme she created to prove to Toph that she could be just as much fun at making up scams as Sokka and Aang were. How was she to know that she, too, would get thrown in jail and that the jail would be made of wood instead of the metal that Toph could bend?

Instead of answering the question, Katara stood up and said, "You know, it's been a great dinner, but I think I've had too many greasy things for one night. Now I'm sick to my stomach." She eyed Anyu to see if he got her meaning.

Anyu didn't reply. Instead, like a trained polar bear dog, Sokka's pock-faced advisor popped his head around Sokka's shoulder and said, "I have something for that! Let me just find it here…"

He opened his coat and out spilled a ton of jars filled with herbs, spices, remedies, handkerchiefs, papers, ink, and who knows what else. For one brief moment, Katara wondered how he was able to _fit_ all those things inside his robes. One of the jars smacked against the hard, icy floor and cracked. Two seconds later, a wood frog was hopping around the table amidst shouts of alarm from Kira, Mira, and Lyanna. Sokka didn't react, until Chu ran across the banquet table after the wood frog, only to trip and knock into the chair of a stocky woman Katara did not know, knocking her completely over into the snow. Sokka squeezed his eyes shut then and smacked his face into the empty plate before him.

That was the last image Katara saw before running out of the banquet hall - leaving the aroma of food, the sound of the commotion, and the feeling of awkwardness and not-belonging behind her. It was quieter outside, the moon almost halfway full, lighting up the snow around her like a sea of scattered crystals. Still, it wasn't secluded enough, and Katara felt strange. Piles of snow were littered here and there among tents and solid houses made of ice and snow. Tools were left helter-skelter among the piles: spades, brushes, trowels, rakes, and sculpting tools left half-buried in patches of ice. Katara frowned, watching her step as she ran past the outskirts of the city, running farther and farther south until the city was no bigger than the width of her little finger. From this distance, the city looked foreign to her. She could see lights gleaming from the banquet hall and other houses and cooking fires sending streams of smoke messages up into the polar sky. The beginnings of the enormous outer wall could be seen too - a huge divider separating the new sprawling city from the boundless ocean that had been the city's lifeblood for as long as she could remember. The wall itself was the biggest indicator of how much things had changed. Why did Katara think it would be any different? Why did she feel such a gnawing sensation in the pit of her stomach that spoke of this scene being somehow intimately _wrong_?

Katara turned back south. Innumerable icebergs floated among the cracks in the ice, the more distant ones looking like little sailboats drifting along the horizon. Not far to her left was a small dock with no more than five canoes attached. Katara recognized the tipped over canoe on the end as belonging to her family, the unmistakable crack in the bottom a result of one of Sokka's "better" fishing expeditions. It was hard to believe that the last time she had been in that canoe was a little less than a year ago, when Sokka and her had found Aang in that iceberg…

Katara turned then to her right, looking past huge snow drifts, among which hobbled hordes of otter-penguins, to a small speck in the distance which she knew was the old, abandoned Fire Navy ship. She remembered how many times she was told never to enter the ship as a child and how wary she had been when Aang wanted to explore it. Nowadays, the thought of entering the ship barely made her flinch. It was only one ship of a fleet very far away from here.

In fact, come to think of it, Katara suddenly wanted to see the ship up close again. Some strange compulsion propelled her forward, plodding through the snow bit by bit while creating bridges of ice to link snow banks separated by water to one another. She was almost halfway there when a splash to her left caught her attention.

As had become habit, Katara whirled about, her hands outstretched in front of her, prepared to waterbend if need be. But there was no one. Instead, a stinging, icy northern wind met her face, whipping her hair behind her. Katara relaxed her stance. It was probably an otter-penguin diving into the water nearby; the war was over - nobody would we be out this far to kill her.

Turning around, Katara continued moving toward the ship, only to be met by another splash, this one closer. Wheeling again, Katara eyed the endless desert of white behind her. That's when she saw it: ripples spreading from a single point in a small, relatively circular pool to her right. Curious, Katara edged over to the pool and glanced over the rim just as the last of the ripples faded into oblivion. The pool was flat and still, like a sheet of glass. Katara tried her best to stare into its depths, but couldn't seem to look past its almost perfect reflection of her and the night sky above. It was like staring at a giant mirror in the Earth. Oddly enough, Katara was reminded of the oasis in the Northern Water Tribe with the koi fish locked in their eternal twisting dance, although the appearance of this pool was completely different than the oasis. Perhaps it was the feeling of the place; peaceful, serene. The pool was so perfect that Katara felt the need to touch it just to make sure it was real.

But before her outstretched hand touched the water, a point above Katara's reflection seemed to shimmer away in a stream of imaginary ripples. The night sky disappeared to reveal the watery pits below. Captivated, Katara leaned closer to the water to watch as a single, large, luminous blue eye came into focus from the water's depths. It stared at Katara and Katara stared back. The eye was not unlike Anyu's eyes, Katara thought suddenly; it had that same piercing intensity, as if it was pinning you in place. But unlike Anyu, this eye seemed knowing, wise. It had seen much in the world and had much to share. Just as Katara was leaning even closer to the pool, her face a mere inch from touching the water, the eye looked past Katara, to something behind her. Katara watched too as a dark figure approached her reflection in the water from behind. As quick as a jackalope, Katara righted herself and spun on her toes, outstretching her arms on either side of her, then pulling them together and lifting them over her head. In the direction of her movement, a pillar of ice erupted from the ground beneath her, encasing the intruder in a stone-like vise.

"What the heck Katara?!"

Sokka struggled futilely against his icy encasement, his wildly flapping hands reminding Katara very much of a pigeon.

"Sokka? What are you doing here?" Katara asked.

Sokka frowned at her and said, "You know Katara, I sort of came out here to ask you the same question. Now, get me out of here!"

Frowning, Katara brought her hands up above her again and then lowered them slowly, melting the ice to a small pool of water around Sokka. As soon as the last of the ice melted away, Sokka plopped onto his butt in the snow.

"Ow." Sokka got to his knees and rubbed his rump with a sour look. "First it was the water whip, and now this. What's gotten into you Katara?"

Katara narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought you were someone else."

"Like who? Who's going to hurt you here? You're back home," Sokka said, getting to his feet.

"If you can call this place 'home'," Katara said quietly to herself before replying, "Ugh - I don't know Sokka. I guess it's just a reflex. You scared me."

Sokka snorted and got to his feet. "I heard what you said. You and I may not like it Katara, but this is still our home. And it's up to us to see it rebuilt."

"You mean it's up to our 'advisors'," Katara corrected bitterly.

"Katara, since when did you let others push you around? You're your own person. _We're_ our own persons. Forget our advisors. We'll show them we're way tougher than any whale blubber they've ever chewed!"

At that, the corners of Katara's mouth upturned slightly. "Thanks Sokka. I guess I needed a little reminding about who I really am. Is that why you came out here, to see if I was okay?"

Sokka's face flashed an unreadable expression before he nodded, saying, "Yeah, well, when you ran away from all the 'fun' we were having at the feast, I could tell something was wrong. When Chu finally got his frog under control, I left too to find you already outside the city outskirts. I knew something was up, a time for big brother intervention, and followed you here."

For some reason, Katara felt that Sokka was keeping something from her; as if that wasn't the only reason he decided to follow her. She could always tell when Sokka wasn't being entirely truthful with her just by the way he seemed to over exaggerate the way he said things. And somehow, he never quite learned how to keep a completely straight face.

Before Katara could say anything though, Sokka asked, "Why did you decide to come here in the first place? And what were you looking at over there anyway?"

"Oh!"

Katara had almost forgotten but turned around immediately and ran back to the edge of the pool. She stared at it for almost a minute, studying every point on its flat surface, but was not surprised to be met with her own harried reflection. Whatever was in the water was long gone.

"It was just, I thought I saw - oh, never mind," Katara finished lamely, hunching somewhat as she got back to her feet. "I was going over to see the Fire Nation ship."

Sokka cocked his head, confusion plain on his features. "Why?"

Katara shrugged. She couldn't even remember why she wanted to go to the ship in the first place anyway. She just felt like walking… in this direction. She shook her head.

_Maybe Sokka's right_, Katara thought. _What has gotten into me? _

Resigned, Sokka laid a hand on Katara's shoulder and nodded. "Look, let's just head back now. We have a huge day tomorrow and we should probably get some rest."

"I guess you're right," Katara consented, turning back one last time to gaze at the pool-mirror. "You know," Katara started, facing forward now, back toward the city, "Have I ever told you that you're the best big brother I could ever ask for?"

Sokka cocked an eyebrow, a sly expression on his face. "I have been given that impression, yes."

"Well, it's true."

Sokka laughed and Katara grinned as they made their way back toward the city in the distance. Katara watched as the houses one-by-one doused their lights until no light but the moon lit the city in an eerie monochrome of gray.

When they were no more than a few yards into their journey back home, Katara thought she heard another splash behind her.

* * *

"What she doing?"

"Standing."

"No, I mean, like, what is she working on?"

"Oh, like in the rebuilding project you mean?"

"Of course I mean in the rebuilding project! What else do you think I mean? Her _sewing_?"

"Well, she's certainly not sewing as most young ladies back home do…"

With that, Sokka almost pried the spyglass from Chu's stick-like fingers. Instead he snorted and said in a rough whisper, "Of course not. She's an ambassador; she's helping out on the project! Now, tell me what she's doing!"

"Prince Sokka, won't you like to take the spyglass and see for yourself?" Chu offered, looking down at Sokka from the top of the snow ditch Sokka had dug.

"For the thousandth time, it's just _Sokka_, not _Prince_ anything. And, again, I don't want to be seen staring - I just have to know for sure."

Chu sighed, but leaned up against the snow wall all the same and squinted through the silver spyglass that glinted in the noon sun.

Sokka crossed his arms and peeked over the rim of his little snow ditch. Most of the villagers had stopped working for the time being to grab a midday meal, tossing their tools aside like pieces of trash. Despite the fact that Katara and Sokka had argued that leaving their tools around was a huge safety risk, nobody listened, seeming to prefer the idea that putting their tools away was too much of a hassle if they were just going to get them back out again in a few hours. However, more people started to pay attention when his father's friend, Kavan, had unknowingly walked onto a shovel covered in snow which promptly snapped up from the pressure of his foot to hit him in the head. Kavan was knocked unconscious, and people started storing the longer and heavier tools away.

_Still, it's not enough_, Sokka thought, annoyed._ Next time it'll be a kid who gets hurt trying to throw a trowel for fun. They still treat Katara and me like kids, like they don't know what we're talking about. _

It had been a week since Katara and he had attended the welcome feast for the "Junior Ambassadors," and although some progress had been made on the reconstruction effort, it was not going as fast as Sokka would have liked. Every morning, Katara and Sokka attended the hour and a half long "Morning Meeting," a sort-of meeting-of-the-minds-like event held every day to discuss the day's tasks, people's responsibilities, and suggestions for new strategies and ideas for the rebuilding effort. Katara and Sokka had had plenty of thoughts, but every time their voices had ringed out, they were met with disapproval and dismay. Pakku was often the biggest dissenter, preferring to stick to many of the older customs, style-wise, of the Northern Water Tribe.

"That's fine, for the _Northern _Water Tribe," Sokka had contended. "But the _Southern_ Water Tribe is different. We have our own way of doing things, and I don't think that wall is one of them."

Pakku shot him an icy glare, before turning to Sokka's father at the end of the table. "The wall of my people has kept us safe for generations, much more so that the Southern Water Tribe's defenses of the past. Even during the Siege of the North the wall served us well. It is an essential part of this city's rebirth."

Sokka didn't reply, just stared hard at his father across the table. Hakoda obtained a rather apologetic look to his face and extended his arms in a placating manner. "I'm sorry Sokka, but Pakku's right. We'll need that wall sometime in our future, I'm sure. Having it there will be a major part of our defenses."

Sokka was sure his father was imagining the time long ago when their lack of such a wall allowed the entrance of Fire Navy ships within their borders, the result ending in the death of his wife, Sokka's mother. Sighing, Sokka let it pass without arguing further. What was the point when nobody would listen? Sokka couldn't help but think that his father was a wonderful leader on the battlefield, but in these types of situations, he was easily swayed.

Since their first "Morning Meeting," Katara and him had been split up with their advisors to supervise certain projects occurring around town. Today, Sokka and Chu were watching, directing, and helping the crew working on the canal that was planned to run through the center of the city on its four compass points. Sokka and Chu made sure that those wheeling the ice picks directed their blows correctly so that they didn't split the city completely in two, destined to float away on two separate planks of ice. To Sokka, it was stupid, almost pointless work, but he gritted his teeth, telling himself it would get better. Besides, he could look forward to these parts of the day when he had a break and the city became quieter… where he could attend to more important matters of business.

"I think she's working with the building crew today. She's there with Anyu and some others, smoothing the walls for the main hall. She, ah, seems a little exasperated I guess."

"Why?"

"Well, her face is all smushed up and she's frowning. Now it looks like she's shouting something and they're all nodding - no wait, now Anyu's laughing. It looks like he's saying something… and they're all leaving. All the workers are leaving. Now it's just her and Anyu."

"What are they doing - what are they doing?" Sokka asked urgently.

"Nothing - no, well, Anyu's talking and she's nodding, but… no, now she's walking away. Now she's going to the canal path, now she's coming over - oh!"

"Chu, what are you doing?"

Sokka sunk low into his ditch, holding his breath. He hoped he was deep enough so he wouldn't be seen. He also hoped Chu was smart enough not to screw this up.

"Why, Princess Katara, how n-nice to see you. I'm just - I'm just looking through this spyglass here, that's all."

"It's just Katara, Chu. And I can see you're looking through the spyglass, but I'm wondering why?"

"I'm p-penguin watching," Chu stammered.

"By looking at the building construction…?"

Sokka could feel Chu tense beside him, and under all his layers of fur coating, it wasn't hard to imagine him sweating.

"Yes, well, sometimes, otter-penguins, you know how they can be. They're fidgety little things - they can be right there in front of you one moment and then _whoosh_, behind you the next!"

"Uh-huh," Katara said, clearly not convinced, but said anyway, "Hey, have you seen Sokka anywhere? Isn't he supposed to be with you?"

"Sokka is, ah, unavailable at the moment," was all Chu could muster.

There was a pause, and Sokka heard Katara say, "Outside of the meetings, Sokka has been avoiding me, and I kind of want to know what his problem is. When you see him next, can you just tell him that I'd like to see him, ASAP?"

"Yes, yes, Miss Katara. I'll let him know."

"_Katara_. Just Katara, Chu."

Sokka allowed himself a few very tense minutes before he stood and popped his head up beside a very red and sweaty-faced Chu. Sokka clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"You did good Chu. Not as well as I would've hoped, but," and Sokka shrugged, "no one's perfect."

Chu took a moment to compose himself and finally said, "I - well, Sokka, do you think it's right to go behind your sister's back like this? Shouldn't you just tell her what you heard? She'll probably understand if you just talk to her. And, I don't think this is exactly the kind of job I was appointed to when Chief Arnook sent me here."

Sokka shook his head. "You don't understand my sister, Chu. She'll hear what I have to say and she won't believe me. She's in the mindset of giving people the benefit of the doubt. So, I need irrefutable proof before I talk to her."

"And you'll get this proof by spying on her whenever you get the chance?"

"No, not her." Sokka grabbed the spyglass out of Chu's hand. It was an old family antique that his great-great grandmother had bought when she was visiting the Earth Kingdom he had been told. The silver was mostly tarnished, but the glass worked well enough. "Anyu."

"And you think spying on him is going to get you the proof you need?"

Sokka leaned against the snow bank around his ditch and shrugged. "I didn't say it was the best plan. I'll figure out something better."

"All this because you _think_ you heard Anyu talking to someone at the banquet about marrying your sister?"

"I know what I heard."

"Sokka, I don't see what's so wrong about that. Your sister is almost of age, and Anyu has quite a reputation himself. Maybe this is a good thing."

"No. Anyu is just interested in Katara because she's my dad's daughter and she, too, has a big reputation. He's just thinking about advancing himself. He doesn't care about my sister at all," Sokka said, gritting his teeth. At least, that was partly true. Sokka just didn't like the way Anyu carried himself, as if he was above everyone else, and he had a personality that seemed to match. And what scared him even more was Katara's almost complete indifference to it all. Sure, there was that minor outburst at the banquet, but besides that, she seemed relatively okay with it all. And when Sokka heard about Anyu's real intentions while talking to a friend of his from the Northern Water Tribe during the sudden commotion at the feast with Chu's frog, he decided to find Katara right away and tell her. But something stopped him then. He remembered when he first approached Katara with his objections about Jet, one of her brief crushes, and her refusal to believe anything he had to say. He hoped that Katara had changed, but, what if she hadn't?

Moreover, what if Sokka was just being selfish? What if Katara was perfectly content with Anyu - what right did he have to split that kind of relationship up? What if he was just being overprotective for nothing and Katara was just fine making her decisions on her own? In fact, would he be fine with it all if the situation was somehow reversed, and Katara interfered in _his_ relationships?

Still, something was _wrong_ with this Anyu, and Sokka was going to figure it out. He was going to get the proof somehow and he was going to show it to Katara before she could make her judgment one way or the other about him.

"Okay, Pri-, er, Sokka. If you think that's true, fine. I'm only your advisor."

Sokka peered through the spyglass to get a close look at Anyu as he leaned against the half-completed main hall that would serve as a place of festivities and where Hakoda's council would meet. Anyu turned his head and Sokka moved the glass to follow his gaze to Katara, coming from the side, holding two bowls of steaming stew. She stopped, said a few words to Anyu and handed him the second bowl. She left, walking lithely around the scattered tools and building supports, toward the banquet hall, which had become the base of operations for the reconstruction effort. As Katara continued to move in that direction, Sokka quickly flicked his spyglass back on Anyu, only to find Anyu watching Katara's departure with a pleased smile tugging the corners of his mouth and his eyes alight.

Sokka took his eyes off the glass and stood straight; staring off into the distance where he knew Anyu was standing.

"You know Chu, spying is harmless. But I have a feeling this is all going to turn personal, fast."

* * *

Katara sighed. She wished Aang was here.

True, he was younger than her, but he was always so much wiser than his years suggested. Whenever she was in a rut, she had come to count on Aang to drag her out. But now he was a fully realized Avatar, off saving the world, righting wrongs, bringing justice, and doing whatever else Avatars do. She knew that whatever he was doing now, he was doing fine - probably even great. He's probably forgotten all about her and made a bunch of new friends to replace the ones he had lost. He was in a world where she could not follow.

And then there was Sokka. He was her rock, her one constant that she could always depend on. Now he was acting peculiar - avoiding her and seeming to be off with his advisor Chu way more often than he should be. Maybe he was making new friends too and she was just way behind. At least, he was getting along fine with his advisor. That was way more than she could say about her own.

_Anyu_. Now he was an entirely different problem. Katara still didn't know quite what to make of him. One moment he is disregarding her ideas and suggestions, while in the same sentence, praising her eyes, her outfit, or her "spunk." For example, Katara thought it best to forge the buildings out of ice-made supports (instead of hard-packed snow) and _then_ reinforce the ice with snow. Making the snow shine and sculpting it would be much easier too. But no. It had to be snow _then_ ice, he said. It was better that way, and easier to build. When Katara pointed out that such construction would make the building weaker, Anyu just looked at her and said, "Katara, your face glows when you're angry, did you know that? It's quite beautiful," and then, "Are you sure you're a Waterbender and not a Firebender?"

She was so taken aback, she was sure that her mouth had opened and closed a few times before she finally found her voice. Turning to the workers, she said, "Continue working. You half will sculpt this side of the hall out of ice then snow, while the other half will follow Anyu's instructions. Okay?" Smirking, she turned back to Anyu. "We'll see whose side lasts the longest."

At that, Anyu let out a bark of laughter. Still grinning, his teeth as white as the snow around him, he said, "No. You will make the building as I instructed. And, no need to finish the work now. Everyone, go. It's lunchtime anyway."

The group dropped their tools and dashed away. One of them, a boy younger than the rest, his hair pulled into a ponytail, much like Sokka's was at that age, stopped and gave Katara a rather sympathetic look before running off to catch up with the others.

_They won't listen. What's wrong with me? _

"Katara, why don't you go grab us some lunch? We can eat outside today."

Katara nodded - barely listening. She had seen Chu then, with her family's spyglass. Maybe Sokka was with him.

He wasn't. She supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. So, she brought Anyu his lunch.

"Anyu," she said as she handed him the sea prune stew that was a favorite among the Water Tribe, "You are my advisor. But _I_ am the ambassador. Next time you disregard my orders, I'll show you just how far I can fling someone two times my size."

Anyu raised an eyebrow, a sly grin creeping across his features. "Hmm, I might just take you up on that offer, Katara. I'd love to see how far you can fling a _man_."

Katara could feel the flush rise up from the bottom of her neck to the bottom of her ears. She spun then and walked determinedly away, hoping he didn't see her face… hoping he wouldn't follow.

So, she sat in the banquet hall. The long table had been removed and replaced with three rows of ice-wrought benches that Katara was certain were made by Northern Water Tribe craftsmen. She sat toward the end of one of the benches, focusing more on stirring her stew than eating it, her mind abuzz.

_He was flirting with me_, she thought. _He was definitely flirting with me. Maybe this whole time, and I was just too dense to see it. _

_ No, _another part of her mind said. _He's your advisor. He can't do that. He's just getting you distracted so he can make all the decisions instead of you_.

If that was true, he was doing a good job of it.

_I'm just like those three Northern Water Tribe girls at the banquet, giggling over Anyu while he wasn't looking. I'm just as bad, just as shallow_, Katara realized, despising herself. _Maybe I should just go throw myself in a ditch - it'll be easier than facing him again. _

Katara's spoon spun faster in the bowl, some of the broth sloshing out the sides.

_Speaking of ditches, that canal building could go so much faster if they just brought all the Waterbenders down from that stupid wall to break the ice. But no, the wall comes first. And because I'm an ambassador, I "shouldn't" help with my waterbending_, Katara thought seething. _This is all wrong - this whole construction effort is completely wrong. Sokka and I are supposed to help, but no one will listen. Somehow we got to prove ourselves. _

Suddenly, Katara realized that being an ambassador meant so much more than just sitting and telling people what to do. She would leave the Southern Water Tribe to travel, making sure that the Water Tribe's voice could be heard worldwide. It dawned on her that she was already sick of home. She had spent fourteen years of her life here, and when she finally had a taste of the wider world, she was no longer sure if she wanted to be home any longer.

_The world is a big place, and I still have much to see… I need to become a full ambassador. _

How she had taken all those days living off of Appa's back for granted…

"Katara are you okay?"

"Huh - what?" Katara said, raising her head off of the hand she was leaning on, and turned around.

"Your stew - it's all over the place," said the woman. Katara recognized her as Darra, one of the older ladies that had stayed behind with Sokka and Katara when all the able-bodied men had left the tribe for the war. Back then, she was a tough woman, always bringing the tribe together whenever times were difficult. Now her chestnut hair was streaked with gray and her marine eyes looked concerned. "Are you not feeling well?"

Katara looked down. It was true; her lunch was all over the place. She had been spinning her spoon so hard the broth had all but left the bowl. Most of it had landed on the table, but some of it had fallen onto her jacket. Her spoon had only been scraping the bowl and any sea prunes left inside.

"I… I'm not hungry," Katara said, and without another glance at Darra, she stood, grabbed the bowl off the table, gave it to a person collecting dirty dishes, and left.

Outside, the sun blazed down on the city from overhead, but that did not make it any less cold. Katara pulled her fur-lined jacket tighter across herself, and guessed that it had only been about fifteen minutes since she had last seen Anyu. Lunch was usually an hour or more, but Katara did not have any place else to be. Stepping lightly over the tools on the ground, Katara walked. She wasn't quite sure where - just any place but here.

Ten minutes later, she was past the boundary of the city. After another ten, she had passed the canoes – almost all of them were gone, fishing most likely. After all, the Southern Water Tribe suddenly had many more mouths to feed. The otter-penguin hills came closer, and so did the abandoned ship in the distance. But that was not where her feet were taking her. The snow crunched under her feet as she moved on and the squawking amongst the penguins became ever louder as she neared them.

_Wanna go penguin sledding with me_? she heard Aang say as if in a dream. Briefly, Katara smiled as the penguins drew closer. But then her feet turned. The next thing she knew, her feet were edging to the rim of a gigantic mirror in the ground.

Katara stared at herself in the pool-mirror. It was easier to see everything in the daytime. She noticed she looked much older than she remembered. Maybe it was the hard line of her mouth, the furrow of her eyebrows, her darker eyes, the braid behind her neck slightly undone, the loose strands falling down her shoulders. Why was she here? Did she think that something in this water would answer the questions ringing in her head?

Katara snorted. _There's nothing in this water. I should probably go back to work. _

Straightening herself, she was about to turn away when the water above her shifted again in those strange false-ripples. When the ripples disappeared, in their place was that same gleaming blue eye.

Katara leaned down over the pool, extending her torso as far as she could to get a better look at it. _What was this thing? _

But then suddenly her world was twisting all about her.

Everything was an icy blackness. A numbing cold seemed to grip her body all over and she couldn't tell which way was up or down in the dark. Her arms felt like they were made of heavy iron beams, and her body was a bag of sand, pulling her down, down, down.

And as most of her mind screamed at her to find a way out of this, a small part wondered how exactly she got into this situation. _I was leaning too far over the water and I fell in_, Katara thought. _Or, was I pulled in? _

It mattered little now how she got in the water. Her lungs ached like they had been probed by a knife, screaming for the air she would never have again. _Aang_, she thought desperately, but she knew there was no one to save her now. Her arms and legs were too numb and heavy to waterbend, as they were dragged down by her weighty coat. Despite everything, Katara almost laughed in a bit of hysteria, about to release the last of the air from her lungs. The irony was just too good: a master Waterbender, died by drowning.

Just as she was about to give in, to stop struggling, to open her mouth, suck the death-water into her lungs, and give herself over to the coldness around her, Katara felt the tiniest of pressures against her cheek, like the touch of a feather. Suddenly, the water disappeared from her face and she could feel something like warm breath around her. Against her will, her mouth opened to suck in the desperately-needed air from this waterless environment. Coughing, Katara blinked back the moisture in her eyes, and attempted to move her useless limbs. She could feel her fingers and toes flex, her toes freezing in her sodden boots, and her arms heavy in her soaked jacket. Turning her head, Katara could see her arms outstretched on either side of her body. She realized she was lying down on something, but she was too weak and cold to look down and see exactly what it was. Shivering, Katara felt oddly peaceful. She was cold, but it was quiet here and she wasn't drowning anymore. _Maybe I'll just sleep a bit…_

Katara's eyes were closing shut when she saw something sparkling in front of her. Using what felt like the last of her strength to pry her heavy eyelids open, her eyes focused on a single shining drop of water on her drenched coat. Abruptly, the droplet rose into the air on its own accord. Katara's eyes widened. Suspended in midair, the droplet looked like a tiny diamond, filtering the light from the sun overhead into a million different directions.

As if following the lead of that drop, the water began to seep out of Katara's coat and float into midair. She could feel the water being sucked out of her shoes, her shirt, skirt, and pair of pants underneath. She felt her hair lighten as the water was pulled from its strands. Stunned, Katara watched the water rise into the air off her cheeks and even her eyelashes. When she felt the last of the water evaporate away from her body, Katara felt almost dry. _I don't understand,_ Katara thought wildly. _I'm not waterbending - this isn't me. What's going on?_ And as the last of the water disappeared around her, Katara could feel her strength return. Pushing herself to her feet, her boots making a clanking sound on the hard floor, Katara rubbed her eyes and looked around.

She gasped.

For a moment, Katara had the strangest dizzying sensation and feared that she might fall backwards as she gazed dumbstruck at her surroundings. She was _under_water, but at the same time, not. Below her feet, Katara was standing on what appeared to be a tall, circular-shaped pillar made of ice that Katara assumed descended all the way down to the ocean floor, but if so, she couldn't tell; near the rim of the pillar, all Katara could see was its blue-white frame disappearing into the dark depths below. But it was not the column she was standing on that amazed her, but what was above her.

All around her, from the edges of her circular ice platform to its zenith, Katara was surrounded by a dome shaped bubble. The bubble shifted and writhed around her like a living thing as the sea crashed and moved about it, but it did not break. Through this clear barrier, Katara could see the hole in the ice above her, the pool where she had fallen through, and the rays of sunlight streaming through to illuminate the world around her into many iridescent shades of blue. Spinning about, Katara caught sight of the last of the water droplets that had slid off her ascending to the top of her dome like bubbles in water… now droplets in a bubble. When they reached the rim of the barrier, they fused with the bubble and all but dissolved, becoming one once again with the sea around her.

Cautiously, Katara moved toward the center of the dome, realizing that despite how beautiful this place beneath the sea was, whatever brought her here in the first place may not be exactly her friend. Moving her feet apart slightly, Katara adopted her fighting stance, preparing herself for whatever dangers might ensue.

Katara's eyes scanned the sea around her and even the ice below her feet for a trap door that may lead underground. But everything seemed smooth and calm. There was nothing.

"Hello?" Katara said to the emptiness around her, wary. "Is anyone here? Hello?"

Something to her left caught her attention. Wheeling, Katara saw a dark shape moving through the water. At first she thought that maybe it was a fish, but at second glance, she realized the thing was bigger - _much_ bigger. The thing, whatever it was, glided through the water, twisting and turning about, as if it were an acrobat in a circus. As the shape came closer, Katara could finally distinguish the thing's outline. It wasn't whale, or seal, or penguin shaped. In fact, as it turned in the water, almost lazy-like, the thing looked less like it was swimming, and more like it was soaring, flying, like, like a giant…

"Bird," Katara whispered, awestruck. "It looks a like bird."

But, as Katara examined closer, that wasn't entirely true either. The creature's forelimbs looked like enormous wings, but as Katara watched, the wings pushed and pulled the water in much the same way as the fins of a fish. And the long, dancing tail that looked like the tail feathers of a bird, actually moved like the tail fins of a tiger seal. Eventually the creature stopped at the edge of Katara's dome so she could see its entirety. Katara dropped to her knees, gaping in awe.

The memory came back vividly, like it had happened only yesterday. Katara remembered asking her mother once, when she was no more than five or six, about the original Waterbenders.

"We learned how to waterbend from the push-and-pull of the moon on the tides. The moon and the sea are our teachers sweetie, because they are always changing," Kya told her.

"I know that," Katara said impatiently. "They always say that. But Darra told me all the other benders learned their elements from animals."

Kya nodded. "Yes, that's true. If I remember correctly, the Air Nomads learned to Airbend from their great sky bison - huge animals with six legs and a big paddle-like tail that could push the air around them and allow them to fly. However, as far as I know, there are no more of these Flying Bison left. They all died when the Fire Nation killed the Airbenders almost a hundred years ago.

"Now, the Earthbenders learned their element from the badgermoles - creatures who created deep, elaborate caves and tunnels out of the dirt. And, of course, you know about the Fire Nation dragons?"

Katara shivered. "They're so big and scary!"

Kya pinched her nose. "Oh, they were big all right, but they're gone too, just like the sky bison. It used to be a great sport to kill a dragon, but people did not know what they lost until the last dragon was finally slain."

"But mommy, why aren't there any waterbending animals?" Katara asked. "There must have been an animal who learned to bend the water like we did, by watching the moon."

Kya shrugged. "If there ever was such an animal, I've never heard or seen them before. Maybe they once existed long ago, but disappeared just like the sky bison and the dragons. And the knowledge of their existence was forgotten over time."

Katara grew sad then. "What about the badgermoles? Are they still here?"

"I'm sure they are, but I know for sure that there are not as many of them as there used to be. Humanity's conquest of the world has taken a toll on all living creatures."

"Why would we do that? It's so… so…" Katara struggled on the word.

"'Horrible'?" her mother offered. "Yes, it was a very bad thing what we did. I do not understand half of the things we do, but there's no changing the past. The only thing to do is live in the present, learn from our mistakes, and hope to change the future."

Katara tried to hold back tears then. "I hope they went away, the animal Waterbenders, and hid someplace! I hope they're safe someplace away from us so we don't do anything bad to them!" she yelled, clenching her fists together and shaking them in the air.

Kya smiled. "Maybe you're right Katara. Maybe they did go and hide someplace. Maybe there under our feet this very moment, beneath the ice, deep in the water… maybe they're there bending the water around them into fantastical shapes, just like the badgermoles. Maybe they still live, even today."

Katara's lip trembled and she nodded. "Yes! They are still alive! The first Waterbenders - and I'm gonna find them someday!"

"I bet you will. Now, go get your father and Sokka. Dinner's almost ready. Kavan and Dorrik brought back fruits from the Earth Kingdom. Tonight we're having papaya!"

Katara's nose wrinkled, and she frowned. "I hate papaya."

"You haven't even tried it."

Katara waved a hand and shook her head, trying to look very much like a noble lady. "I already know I don't like it," she said before skipping out of her family's tent into the sunshine outside.

The memory faded with the sound of her mother's bell-like laughter echoing throughout the corners of her mind.

It was strange. Despite the fact that she horded memories of her mother like precious gemstones, Katara had never once revisited that particular memory and had all but forgotten it. But now that she remembered it, the conversation repeated in her mind over and over again, because it was that simple memory that explained to her the enormity of what was happening right now.

So she was right. They _had_ hid. Below the water. This whole time.

Katara stared at the creature before her, drinking in its features like it was the only thing left in the world. Her initial impression was right: this creature was part bird and part sea creature, perhaps a whale-cow. Its body was slender and smooth, the legs pressed tight to its body were long and thin and ivory-colored. However, unlike most bird-types, this creature's toes were not taloned but webbed like a turtle-duck. Feathers covered the length of the creature, but as Katara stared longer, she was not even sure if they were feathers at all. They were smooth like silk, and pressed to the creature's body like they were painted there. And the colors… all shades of blue that intertwined in magnificent patterns of swirls and circles. The tips of the creature's wings were a series of curves and ovals that almost looked like eyes. Finally, its head was like that of a phoenix, with a slightly curved ivory beak, and plumes of feathers that decorated its head like an elaborate headdress. And the eyes that stared back at her were the same bright blue as the eye she had seen in the mirror above.

Katara was at a loss of what to do. The creature waited, seeming to sway in front of her beyond the bubble barrier in the ocean's currents. Katara broke eye contact briefly to look behind her, wondering if there was someone else the creature was waiting for. But there was no one. It was just her. Hesitantly, Katara looked back at the creature, who was still watching her with those knowing eyes… waiting…

Tentatively, Katara raised her hand and gave a shaky wave. "Uh, hello."

The creature opened its mouth. Katara covered her ears as the creature made a shrieking, whine-like sound, like the moan or hum that whale-cows sometimes made. The creature's huge colorful wings extended on either side of its body and flapped together in a wide, sweep like motion that Katara was sure would pop her air bubble. Instead, the bubble moved and rippled around her as water came rushing past on either side, threatening to break the bubble. But when the powerful currents stopped, her barrier was still intact and the bird-whale was gazing at her expectantly.

Carefully, Katara got to her feet and suddenly seemed to know what to do. Somehow her legs began to move and her arms outstretched on either side of her. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she danced fluidly through the steps she had learned in her waterbending training: the Maelstrom, the Lark Ascending, the Ice Pillar, the Frost Dance, the Gliding Spear, the Water Whip, the Frozen Shield, the Icemaker's Revenge… each step became easier than the last and soon she lost herself in the movements, her arms moving around her, her powerful legs shifting and straining as she balanced her weight on the balls of her feet, guiding her chi throughout her body. Her breathing became ragged, but she ignored it, doing her best to keep it steady and even, her focus entirely on being as fluid as a river, as solid as ice, and as powerful as the waves. Eventually, she felt herself reach into that place inside her where that strange power she had slept. Soon she wasn't only making the motions, but performing the full moves. The water shifted around her as she pulled it from outside her barrier in and with it began creating huge columns, swirling whirlpools, misting breath, crashing waves, flying disks, and so on. And as she manipulated the water, she noticed her barrier move in and out, pulsing as if it were a heart. Outside, the creature was moving with her, pushing and pulling huge streams of water together to create in turn massive spinning tornadoes, giant bubbles that danced and shone like crystals in the light, and huge monoliths of ice that made Katara feel like she was in the middle of a gigantic underwater throne room. Then Katara noticed the creature finishing her moves for her, and Katara, in turn, added to the moves of the creature. Together they were sharing the water between them, removing and adding to their dance so it was as if they were one. Katara couldn't help but hear Pakku in the back of her mind: _The Waterbenders' main technique is to let their defense become their offense_. She realized then, as she moved in time with the creature before her, that that Waterbender technique did not originate from years of battling amongst one another, but from sharing the water, their life force, as one.

Abruptly, their dance ended, as Katara realized that the two of them had made a complete circuit about her enormous ice platform. Katara stopped with her feet slightly apart and her arms back at her sides, sweating and her breathing heavy. Swallowing, she gazed back up as the creature, who had ended with its wings outstretched and its luminous eyes trained on Katara.

Again, somehow Katara knew to move to the middle of her platform. Once there, she looked back at the creature, who looked back at Katara. Slowly, it nodded and closed its eyes. Katara nodded too and together they lifted their forearms up over their heads and clapped them together.

With a loud_ swoosh_ and _crash_, Katara's bubble barrier broke around her, the water rushing in on either side of her. But this time, Katara was ready for the icy impact. Twirling, her arms spinning about her from her hips slowly up to her head, the water swirled and encased her in a whirling water barrier. The ice below her dropped beneath her feet and soon she hung suspended in the middle of this underwater world. With another quick twirl of her arms, the water beneath Katara's barrier began to compress and twist, becoming much like an underwater tornado. And like she did when she saved Aang after Azula hit him with her lightning bolt, she forced the tornado to lift her up and up and up…

… Until she broke the surface.

Katara shot upwards like a jet of water from the blow-hole of a whale-cow. She caught a quick breath before manipulating her water-tornado to change course and drop her safely by the edge of the pool-mirror. When she felt the snow _crunch_ beneath her feet again, she lifted her arms above her and brought them slowly back down, pushing the spinning water back into the pool.

Katara shook back her dripping hair and watched the last of the ripples in the pool fade again into nothing. She was faced again with her own reflection. As she was about to straighten, the water shifted once again to reveal the blue eye. Katara blinked and watched as a single drop of water off of her nose floated toward the pool. Before long, Katara felt herself lighten as the excess water was stripped off her again, spilling itself into the pool. When the last drop disappeared into the water, Katara saw that the eye was still there, watching.

"Thank you," Katara whispered, smiling. "You reminded me who I am. I will never forget that…" Katara considered for a moment, as she examined the creature's eye, before adding, "Blue. Thank you, Blue."

The eye seemed to lighten somewhat before it blinked and disappeared from existence in another series of strange ripples. Katara saw her own face staring back at her again. Extending her arm, meaning to touch the glass-like water, she was met by a solid smooth sheet. Taken aback, Katara ran her fingers along the solid ice, where the pool had once been. A sharp gust of wind blew in drifts of freshly laid soft snow to sting Katara's eyes and fall lightly over the surface of the pool-mirror. Soon Katara could not tell this particular area from the next. The giant mirror in the world was gone.

Katara stood and gazed up at the sky. It was well past midday now and she was sure people were wondering where she had gone. She was needed… or perhaps not. They had Anyu after all.

_But not for long_.

Breathing in, Katara thought, _Thank you Blue. I know what I have to do now. _

And with that, Katara turned and set off for home.

* * *

Sokka paced back and forth down the makeshift street, lined on one side with the vague beginnings of shops, an inn, and even a café of sorts. Most of the buildings now were just heaps of snow, barely having any shape to them at all, but the inn was almost done, a solid, two-story rectangular structure with a flat roof and plain round columns by the front entrance for support. Square holes had been punched around the inn that would eventually be windows, but they still lacked the clear sheen of ice that would be the glass. To Sokka's left was a relatively flat plain of snow with a wide, circular pool in the middle, supposedly marking the center point of the city. In front of the pool was a long, smooth structure with steps leading up to it. It was the main hall that Katara had been working on earlier that day with Anyu. They seemed to have gotten pretty far in its construction. The pool wasn't there this morning, but Sokka knew they had been planning it for awhile. Crude axe markings in the snow indicated the pathways of the future canals that would branch off the pool into the four compass points. Sokka ground his teeth, quietly seething that Chu and his group had not gotten farther in their work on the canals today. But perhaps that was partly Chu's and his fault…

And Katara's fault too. She just _disappeared_ for hours after he had last seen her talking to Anyu around lunch time. When he had returned to his secluded ditch after grabbing a bite to eat with Chu, most of the workers in Katara and Anyu's charge had returned, but neither of them was there. At first, Sokka was sure Anyu had gotten Katara alone and it was too late for him to intervene, but soon Anyu came striding in. After a momentary pause where Anyu and the workers wondered where Katara was, Anyu just shrugged and continued shouting orders on Katara's behalf. Katara did not return for the rest of the work session.

And for that matter, neither did Sokka and Chu. Sokka and Chu returned at the end of the day to their canal project in the midst of chaos. The workers had been breaking the ice in the _wrong_ direction. After some shouting, in which Sokka was too stubborn to admit that the fault was his for not being there, Sokka grabbed an exhausted and haggard looking Waterbender returning from working on the Wall that day, who grudgingly connected the broken ice. When Sokka asked him to break the ice leading along the southern compass point, the canal project's original plan for the day, however, the Waterbender threw up his hands in aggravation, shouting, "This isn't my job! _You_ were supposed to do it right the first time! And anyway, I could break the ice the wrong way and the whole city could split apart!"

"Yes, but couldn't you just connect them again before they drift away too far?"

In reply to that, the Waterbender stalked off. Still, it got Sokka thinking: if a Waterbender could mend the ice that quickly, imagine how fast a team of Waterbenders could make the canal if they worked together? The whole project would be done in less than a day. Katara was right; the Waterbenders' power was squandered on this useless Wall project. Not that Sokka could do anything about it… countless meetings about this have already established the need for said wall.

_Still…_

Sokka continued his frenzied pacing, his patience running thin. Chu should have been here by now; it was almost time; that is, if what Chu told him was true. Sokka paused, reflecting on the memory. Sokka had worried about his sister's whereabouts when she did not show up for work at all that afternoon. He was even more panicked when she was not there for dinner. Anyu, on the other hand, seemed less than concerned. Sokka left dinner early, feeling worried about his sister and even more irritated at her advisor. Chu had stayed behind though, near Anyu and his friends where Sokka had told him to hide behind a pillar. Not fifteen minutes later did Chu come panting back to Sokka, sweating through his floppy robes.

"He-he-he-Ka-t-t-ta-raaaaa…. saw her - going to-to-to-_night_," Chu stammered, breathing hard. "Has-has-_necklace_-will-will-_ask_…"

It wasn't until Sokka got Chu to calm down did he get the whole story. Chu had heard Anyu talk of his plans to his friends, between sips of the odd, bluish Water Wine. Apparently, Katara had come to Anyu earlier wanting to talk. Sokka's first thought was relief that Katara was okay. The second was dread. After people were wondering where she was the whole day, why would Katara show herself first to Anyu, of all people? Moreover, what could she possibly want to talk to _him_ about?

Chu finished the tale explaining how, although Katara wanted to talk then, Anyu switched the time and location to in front of the main hall at an hour after sundown that night. Katara agreed and left. Then Anyu revealed that tonight he was going to ask Katara to marry him, when she came of age. In fact, he boasted to his friends, he already got a betrothal necklace made special for her, so sure of her answer. His friends all pounded him approvingly on his shoulder while raising their glasses to his good fortune.

When Chu had finished his tale, Sokka thought he was going to explode. His first instinct was to go directly to Anyu and sock him one in his handsome face, but with Chu hanging desperately from his fur coat, dragging face down in the snow, he realized that maybe he should come up with another plan. It hit him again that maybe Katara actually _did_ like Anyu. Why else would she go see Anyu first after disappearing for most of the day? No, he decided. He needed to be sure and he needed to be discreet. It was time to come up with a plan that would not be conspicuous… a plan that would depend upon Katara. In the end, Sokka resorted to a plan that included watching and waiting, and coming to Katara's aid if necessary.

But of course, he needed Chu to be his eyes and ears for him. If Katara was to spot him spying on her, she would never let Sokka live it down. Sokka's hands flew to his head, feeling as though he might tear his hair out, his pacing taking the form of a strange one-man race from here to there. Suddenly, Sokka heard the telltale _crunch_ that snow makes beneath the soles of one's boots. His head popped up and he spun toward the sound, expecting Chu. Instead, the silence of this deserted part of town carried the sound of approaching footsteps from across the square like a canyon carries an echo; he heard the steps as if they were right next to him. To Sokka's dismay, it was Anyu walking in that arrogant way of his to the steps of the main hall. He was staring at something that he held dangling in front of his face. He grinned at for a moment and then stuffed it into the pocket of his thick snow pants.

Sokka did his best to refrain from making a disgusted noise, only to have a strange, half-choked sound escape his mouth. Before Anyu had a chance to turn toward the sound, Sokka ducked behind a shop, stuffing a fist in his mouth to avoid making any more sound.

_A betrothal necklace! He was grinning at that stupid marriage necklace!_ Sokka thought, barely able to keep his anger under control. _Chu was right. He's coming here to ask her…_

Sokka was about to peek his head from around the corner of the shop and out into the square when a finger tapped his shoulder. Sokka whirled, throwing up his hands in surprise, only to find a penitent Chu kneeling by Sokka's legs.

"Where have you been?" Sokka hissed, trying to keep his voice as low as possible. If he could hear Anyu's footsteps in the square, who knew what Anyu could hear? "I've been waiting forever for you!"

"I'm sooo sorry Prince Sokka. I-I-I was preparing for… tonight. I-I-I was…" Chu said, much too moany-like and much too loud.

"Sshhhh!" Sokka clasped his hand around Chu's mouth. His heart hammered in his chest, sure that Anyu had heard them. When no one approached, he dropped his hand and said, "You have to be quiet! And what were you preparing for anyway? All you had to do was come meet me here!"

"Yes, well, you said that, but, ah… I, ah, thought that maybe, I could help you tonight by, ah, looking at, what I mean to say is making _sure_…"

Chu blathered on about helping Sokka tonight in case things got bad by doing one stupid thing after another, but Sokka only half-paid attention. Instead, his focus drifted to the sound of a second pair of footsteps approaching across the square. Sokka grabbed Chu by the arm, cutting him off mid-sentence and pulled him toward the edge of the shop.

"Chu, I want you to look and see if it's Katara coming. You gotta tell me word-for-word what's happening as it happens." Sokka reached his hand around the corner of the shop and pushed some snow into a pile so that it resembled a small, quite pathetic, snow drift. "I'll start piling some more snow around you while you watch. We just _can't be seen_ until the time is right - do you understand?"

"Ye-yes, Prince Sokka. I mean Sokka," Chu said, nodding so vigorously that his chin hit his chest.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go!" Sokka pushed Chu so that he was positioned crouched behind the snow drift.

It was silent for only a moment as Chu moved to peek his head above the snow. Then there was a gasp.

Sokka did his best not to bolt straight up. He covered his mouth, then said between his fingers, in a voice full of dread, "What? What is it?"

"It-It's Katara," Chu said quietly. "But, she-she's _different_… She's…"

Chu was stuttering too much for Sokka's taste. He decided one quick look shouldn't blow his cover. Sokka elbowed Chu over and moved so that only his eyes were above the snow. At first, all he saw was the empty square with the still pool in the middle and Anyu sitting on the steps leading to the hall. Suddenly, Anyu got to his feet, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape. Sokka followed his line of sight until he saw her.

He did his best not to gasp.

Katara was walking lightly from around the corner of the square toward Anyu on the steps to the main hall, diagonal to where Sokka and Chu lay hidden. But she did not look like she had this morning when Sokka saw her last. The usual long jacket over baggy snow pants and boots was gone. Instead, she wore a long-sleeved sky-blue dress that flowed down to her ankles. Her normal brown boots were replaced with a bright-white pair that seemed to go up higher than her ankles, disappearing into the folds of her dress, with laces that began near her toes and criss-crossed up the entire length. What was more was that the boots looked like they had _heels_ on them. Sokka could not remember a time that Katara _ever _wore heels. The dress itself was heavy, almost a jacket in itself, lined with white seal fur and embroidered in dark blue thread with what looked like swirls… or maybe they were waves? Something about the pattern, though, seemed familiar to Sokka. Katara's face was covered with the hood of the dress, but when she was halfway across the square, she reached up with her white-gloved hands and pushed back the hood. Sokka's mouth dropped. Katara had unbraided her hair, letting it fall in waves down past her shoulders. Only her hair-loopies remained, connecting behind her head to form one long strand. And finally, her face had been painted… her lips a dark red, her cheeks bright, and her eyelashes darkened and lengthened so that her eyes seemed to shine like two huge blue gemstones.

"Prince Sokka?! I mean Sokka. What are you doing?" Chu said anxiously, pulling Sokka below the snow pile. Sokka hadn't realized that he had popped his head completely above the snow bank. Chu peered over the snow and said, "Katara's approaching Anyu now. Prince Sokka… uh, Sokka, is this bad? Katara being like this?"

Sokka put his head in his hands. He thought Katara was better than that. But now all his worst fears had been realized.

"No Chu. This is _way_ worse."

* * *

She despised these shoes.

Katara could not remember the last time she wore heels, or if she ever wore heels. But as soon as she slipped them on she hated them. It had taken her nearly an hour to get used to walking in them without falling over, and even then she needed to learn to walk in a way that gave herself a certain… _presence_. Even though she hated the blisters she was getting on her feet because of the shoes, she could not leave them behind. She needed her mother's boots as much as she needed her mother's dress. She needed them both for Anyu's sake.

Her mother's dress was another matter. Katara was pleased to learn that she shared the same shape as her mother, but even so the dress was still too long and too big around the bosom. Wearing the dress's hood not only protected her ears, face, and bare shoulders from the cold, but helped to support the dress from slipping down. But in order for Anyu to get the full effect, she knew she had to remove the cowl. When she did, the blast of icy air on the exposed area of her chest, bare except for her mother's necklace from where the dress stopped above her breasts to where the sleeves began at the extreme edge of her shoulders, was enough to weaken her resolve. But she gritted her teeth and bore it, knowing that all of this was for Anyu. When she caught the expression on his face across the square, she was not disappointed. She continued to walk as lithely as she could across the square, praying that the old pair of gloves she used to stuff the bosom area was enough to keep the dress upright and secure.

She stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the main hall, which was almost finished but for the rougher edges of the right side. From what she could tell, the builders had taken Anyu's advice: everything was made of hard-packed snow, with a thin layer of ice on top. Katara tried not to let that irk her. Breathing deeply through her nose, Katara rose her head and gazed up at Anyu with as much adoration in her eyes as possible.

"Anyu, so nice to see you," she said.

"Katara, you look…" Anyu said, for once at a loss for words.

"Oh, this old thing? I just threw it on." _Not true_, Katara thought._ Took me nearly an hour to find this and then three hours to get this look together, not that he needs to know that._ "I hope you like it."

"Like it? Katara, you look absolutely stunning, as you should. A person of your… _rank_ should wear clothing appropriate to their status."

"Oh?" Katara said, feigning genuine curiosity as Anyu lent his hand to lead her up the steps.

"Katara, I've always known you were beautiful - the light in your eyes, your smile, your flush, the curl of your hair…" he said, taking a lock of her hair and twirling it in his fingers. Katara did her best to stay placid. "But based on the way you dressed, just like the commoners, you couldn't tell just how important you are."

"In the Southern Water Tribe, we dress to keep ourselves warm. How is it different from the Northern Water Tribe?" Katara asked, keeping her voice even.

Anyu drew her down with him so that they were both sitting, facing each other on the top step to the main hall. "Well, for a start," Anyu explained, in a tone that suggested he was talking to a five-year-old, "We wear clothing that befits our station. See you and I are wearing clothing now that classifies us as one of the 'very important.' However, when I usually see you, you wear clothes that are rather ordinary, as if you are trying to downgrade yourself. Do you want to dress like that all the time?"

Katara looked at Anyu; actually _looked_ at him. Come to think of it, if he were part of the Southern Water Tribe, his dress would be considered a little outlandish, but she supposed it might not have been such a big concern in the Northern Water Tribe. He wore a long jacket, decorated around the collar with silver embroidery thread in the shape of points. A similar design decorated the cuffs of his sleeves and the edge of his snow pants that met his boots. He wore a necklace with the tooth of some animal dangling from it, perhaps a snow bear or a polar bear dog. His brown boots, contrary to Katara's regular boots, seemed almost new; they gleamed in the moon's light. At that point, several thoughts ran through Katara's mind at once: _I wear what is appropriate to each situation. The clothes that I was wearing earlier kept me much warmer than this dress is now. And the clothes are _Southern Water Tribe_; I am not from the Northern Water Tribe, who are so focused on their strange customs and traditions._ _It's not like I don't enjoy dressing up on occasion. _Katara gave a small smile. _He should have seen what I was wearing in the Fire Nation, where the heat was almost unbearable. If he had, I wonder if he would be complaining about my dress now. _

"Why are you smiling?" Anyu asked.

"Oh, I guess I realized you're right. How silly of me to dress below my station," Katara said. "Anyway, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Actually, Katara, it was _you_ who came to me first. What is it you want to talk about?"

"Oh, no, please. My concerns are not as important as yours. Please, _you_ go first." _After all, ladies first._

Anyu paused, staring at Katara's face. Then his hand reached out and took a hold of Katara's necklace. He stared at it curiously, moving it around in his hand, until finally he asked, "Where did you get this?"

Confused, Katara said, "Um, this was my mother's necklace."

"Did your father give it to her?" Anyu asked.

_No - actually Pakku made this for my grandma, Kanna, as a betrothal necklace long ago, but you don't need to know that either._ "I'm not sure."

Anyu nodded, releasing the necklace, so that it fell back to the hollow beneath Katara's neck. "You know what that is, right?"

"Well, in the _Northern Water Tribe_, it is a betrothal necklace," Katara answered.

"A betrothal necklace," Anyu said, as if he didn't hear the beginning of Katara's sentence. "And are you betrothed to anyone, Katara?"

"No, but -" Katara began.

"Then take it off," Anyu said. Before Katara could react, Anyu reached around and untied the necklace from Katara's neck so that it fell in her lap, its pattern of crashing waves facing up at her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard someone whisper, _The Water Tribe is about change. Like the changing of the tides, of the states of water, of the waves that reach the shore…_

_Things will have to change for them to get better_, Katara thought, as she picked up the necklace with her fingers.

Still dazed, Katara listened distantly as Anyu said, "Things here need some desperate change. We are only at the beginning stages of making it right. But, the way I see it, you and I can change everything for good. Together we can unite the Northern and Southern Water Tribes once and for all."

"'You and I'?" Katara repeated faintly.

"Yes." Anyu stared at Katara with those blue, ice-like eyes of his again, that held Katara in place so that all she could do was stare back. Anyu reached into the pocket of his pants and drew out a necklace to hold in front of Katara. For a brief moment, she looked at it. It was like her mother's, but the pendant on it was designed in the fashion of a leaping fish of some sort. She didn't understand as Anyu leaned forward and tied the necklace around her neck, his face mere inches from hers. She could feel the mist of his breath on her cheek. He drew away from her and again held her in place with his eyes.

"With us betrothed, we can change everything about this place. We'll be the king and queen, Katara. Wouldn't you like that?"

Katara wasn't sure what she would like. Somehow all her senses were fuzzy and Anyu was the only thing clear. Handsome Anyu, with his shoulder-length hair and the braids, his angular face and intensely blue eyes. Anyu who was staring at her, waiting for something, but Katara did not know exactly what.

Instead, Anyu said softly, "Katara, you are so beautiful. I would love to be married to you."

And suddenly his face was in front of her, his lips tugging gently on hers. Somehow her lips parted and she was kissing back. Someone far off gasped, or perhaps it was her imagination, she wasn't sure. She decided his kissing reminded her very much of a fish out of water who kept opening and closing its mouth in order to breathe.

_A fish…_

_He gave me a fish betrothal necklace. _

Something seemed to switch back on in her head. Her eyes burst opened (she hadn't realized she had closed them). Her senses cleared and it wasn't Anyu she saw in front of her anymore, but a boy with large gray eyes and a smile that would spread from ear to ear. This was not supposed to be happening.

And she remembered what she had come here for in the first place.

He was still kissing her. He hadn't realized.

_That's fine_, Katara thought. _I'll wake him up. _

Closing her eyes she breathed out, her breath misting and then freezing on Anyu's lips. His eyes snapped open and for a brief moment, there was the most beautiful surprised expression on Anyu's face that she had ever seen. Before he could react though, Katara moved her hands and two streams of ice erupted from the ground to wrap around Anyu's hands at his sides. Pure unconcealed anger flashed across Anyu's face, only to be replaced quickly with one of gentle confusion.

"Katara, what is the meaning of this?" Anyu asked.

Katara eyed him once over shrewdly, then stood up, holding her mother's necklace in one hand. With the other, she undid Anyu's betrothal necklace from around her neck and then threw it at his feet.

"I am no fish," she said. "I do not follow meekly when others tell me to do something. I am of the Southern Water Tribe, and the only change that needs to happen here is _you_."

"I don't understand."

"Ever since I arrived, you have taken every step to disregard my orders. You think you know so much, but that's not true. You have not left your glacier in the North, except to venture here. I have traveled the globe and know more about what is needed here than you will ever know. Moreover, I _am_ of the Southern Water Tribe… and what you and every other Northern Water Tribe member seem to forget is that here, things are different. Here, you are on my turf and we do things _our_ way."

Anyu stared at her for a long moment, before sniffing the air contemptuously. "You know nothing, Katara. You need us more than you know - you need _me_ more than you know."

Katara smiled. "The only thing I need you for is waterbending practice. You'll make for a good warm up, for I haven't been in an intense battle for over a month." Katara's grin widened as she took her fighting stance. "Tell me, in the end, how it feels to be beaten by a girl… no less, a girl in a _dress_."

Anyu's gaze darkened. "Katara, I warn you, stop this. You do not want to face me."

"Then say you will relinquish your command and recommend that Sokka and I become full ambassadors, not just the lackeys of you and Chu."

Anyu frowned. "No."

Katara continued to smile. "Well, you can't say that I didn't try to reason with you. Now I have no choice but to whip your butt."

Faster than Katara expected, Anyu broke from his restraints in the snow and was on his feet, flying at Katara while throwing flattened disks of ice her way.

Katara flipped backwards, springing off her fingers so that she flew into the air and landed at the bottom of the main hall's steps on her heels. However, the snow was looser here, and unlike her normal boots, her heels did not give her as much traction on the ground as she would have liked. She slipped on her landing, leaning forward, just as an ice disk flew over her head where she was not moments ago. Katara spun as Anyu landed smoothly in front of her.

"Katara, be reasonable," Anyu said.

"Too late - reasonable Katara has left the square."

Katara clapped her hands above her, meaning to trap Anyu between two pillars of ice, but Anyu ducked out of the way, only to send one of her pillars on at an angle right toward her. Katara danced out of the way, and drew water from the pool in the middle of the square and set it rushing toward Anyu. When Anyu hit the stream, Katara froze it, so that he was trapped. Grinning, she stepped back to admire her work, but not two seconds later, the ice broke into a million different shards that went blasting straight toward her. Quickly, she flung up her arms and the shards halted mere centimeters from her face. Anyu stared at her as she stretched out her fingers and flung out her arms to either side of her. The shards about her seemed to rattle, then explode into tiny droplets of mist that she blew into Anyu's face. He waved his hands in front of him, as if to clear the mist, but Katara took her momentary concealment to draw more water from the pool to wrap around her arms. The water was now an extension of her arms.

Not too soon either. The mist had completely dissipated from around Anyu's face, only to be wrapped around as ice on his fists, like large gauntlets. With a twist of his arm, he shot one ice gauntlet at Katara. Katara lifted one water arm up to block it, but the gauntlet was not deterred. Like the rock hands of the Dai Li, the gauntlet grabbed onto Katara's right wrist. Startled, Katara stared at her trapped hand. Anyu wasted no time. A pillar of ice rose from the ground to hold her entire arm in place. Katara struck back with her left hand, whipping the water at Anyu's feet so that it threw him off balance. He staggered to the ground, while Katara meant to use the brief respite to destroy the pillar holding her right arm in place. Instead, Anyu quickly jerked his right arm while on the ground so that ice enclosed around Katara's heeled feet. Katara lost balance then, slumping in her fetters as her left arm dropped to her side, the water falling into the snow.

Just then, there was a shout behind her. Anyu staggered to his feet to stare, an expression of extreme bewilderment on his face. Katara did her best to turn as well, only to see Sokka standing behind her at the edge of the square with Chu standing right beside him. Sokka's hand went to his belt and he brandished his boomerang, screaming, "You let go of my sister!" Chu nodded vigorously, then raised a pointed finger at Anyu, shouting, "Penguins, ATTACK!"

The moment that followed this was one of the most bizarre of Katara's life. From around every newly made building and shop surrounding the square, rows and rows of black and white otter-penguins emerged. They appeared on the roofs, in unfinished windows, around unlit torches, both in front of and behind Anyu and Katara. The sound they were making was a strange dim hum, unlike their usual squawking among the snow banks. Sokka jumped when one appeared between his legs. From the look on his face, he was expecting this as much as Anyu and Katara were.

Katara took Anyu's distraction and reformed the water around her left hand. She slashed at Anyu with her water-whip arm, sending him reeling backwards. As he fell on his butt, Katara broke the restraints around her feet and the pillar of water holding her right hand with her water-whip.

The otter-penguins seemed to take Katara's action as a sign. Almost as one, the horde of them dived toward Anyu, sliding across the ice on their bellies, and bumping into Anyu's body in the snow like angry stuffed animals. Anyu struggled against them, turning and punching them away, trying to stand.

"Get off me, get off me!" he shouted.

Katara turned to see Sokka and Chu walking toward her.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded of Sokka, when he was close enough to see the expression on her face.

"Uh… Let's just say for a second I wasn't spying on you…" he began.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Okay, later we're going to have a talk but right now -" A stream of water was heading toward the three of them. Katara raised her hands so the water swirled around her and redirected itself back at Anyu, who had somehow gotten back to his feet and was being trailed by a mob of irritated otter-penguins as he ran straight for her. "- I'm in the middle of a fight."

"Let me help you!" Sokka entreated, raising his boomerang once more. "This guy is bad news Katara - wait until I tell you what - ACK!"

Anyu had redirected Katara's water stream so that it hit Sokka directly in the chest. He flung backwards, landing on his bottom ten feet away.

_That works_, Katara thought as she slid her hand forward in a motion that sent a dumbfounded Chu standing next to her skidding back toward Sokka as the ground shifted beneath him. "This is _my_ fight guys! Stay out of it!" she shouted, spinning around to focus her attention back on Anyu.

And just in time. Another blast of water missed Katara's shoulder by an inch as she dashed quickly out of the way. She retaliated by drawing water from the pool again and sending streams of water toward Anyu's extremities, hoping to hold him in place like Anyu had done to her. Anyu reacted by stopping the water in place, and then having it congeal around both his arms, from elbow to fingertips, so that it froze into two swords protruding from his arms. With that, he rushed at Katara, his arms swinging in front of him, like some machine, his eyes alight and somewhat disturbing in their intensity.

When he was within range, he slashed at Katara, one upwards toward her face, another by her arms, and another near her thighs, his swings so fast and smooth that Katara found it difficult to dodge them. Katara edged backwards as she continued to skirt away from his swings, noticing that she was coming closer and closer to the pool in the middle of the square. Midway through one of his flurries, Katara realized that this fight wasn't just about one of them establishing dominance over the other… in fact, as Anyu's attacks continued to become more furious and aggressive, Katara understood that he desperately wanted to _hurt_ her. And if it were any other Waterbender besides her, he probably would have succeeded much earlier.

The thought made her in equal parts uneasy and angry. As she swept down against the ground to avoid an upward slash across her chest, she grabbed a fistful of snow and tossed it upward. Katara froze it in midair then sent it crashing against Anyu's right ice-blade as it came swooping toward her face. The frozen snowball halted the blade and cracked it before falling apart itself. Bemused, Anyu paused just long enough for Katara to draw more clumps of snow into the air and freeze them. When Anyu finally returned his attention to Katara, an army of frozen cannonballs were stationed in midair behind her outstretched arms.

Anyu did not have enough time to react before the first ice-ball hit him in the shoulder. Anyu's right ice-sword broke away from his arm into shards like shattered glass, as the balls pelted his outstretched arm. The ice-balls continued to crash into him, his chest, shoulders, face, and legs, until he lost his balance and fell to one knee, panting. The otter-penguins took Anyu's weakened stance as a sign to step back into the fight. They formed a ring around him, squawking victory.

Katara stayed the remaining of her snowballs. She leaned over Anyu, whose head drooped so that he was staring at the ground.

"Do you yield?" Katara asked, smirking. "Do you admit defeat and in turn, allow Sokka and me to take on our full responsibilities as ambassadors?"

Anyu mumbled something that Katara couldn't catch. The otter-penguins, seeming to understand Katara's irritation, quieted their squawking until it was nothing more than a mere humming.

"What was that?" Katara asked, cupping a hand behind her ear in order to hear better. "I didn't quite get that."

"I said," Anyu said quietly, "Never!"

At once, Anyu swooped upward with his ice-sword, still frozen around his left arm. Katara could barely react as the blade kissed her cheek and swept upward toward her forehead. Katara felt something warm trickle down her cheek and was briefly at ease, the warmth welcome on her numb face. But before she could reach her next thought, she felt a hard object slam into her abdomen; forcing the air out of her lungs and making her lose her footing. As she struggled to breathe, she felt herself reel backwards, watching as the world spun from rightside up, to sideways, to upside down. Colors blurred together and she could hear a cacophony of screeches, screams, curses, crunches, and then finally one large _splash_. And as soon as it had begun, the dizzying array of sensations was over, to be replaced by darkness and cold, cold, cold.

* * *

It had happened so fast. In one moment, he was filled with relief as Katara rose triumphant over her battered opponent, the otter-penguins waddling around Anyu in a tight, protective barrier, and in the next, Katara was bleeding across her face and staggering backwards, until finally, with one powerful kick to her torso, Katara fell headfirst into the pool in the center of the square. Chu screamed, "Princess Katara!" while the otter-penguins screeched and began swatting and pecking at Anyu's legs. Sokka did not know how to react; for a moment he stared, dumbstruck, at the pool until every one of its ripples disappeared from the surface. And then something in him snapped.

"You _stupid_ idiot!" Sokka yelled, drawing his boomerang from his belt and throwing it at Anyu. Anyu jerked to the side, just as Sokka had expected, throwing up his left hand with its ice sword, the tip red with Katara's blood. The boomerang smashed into the sword, shattering the blade, before rotating backwards to return back into Sokka's hand. "That was my _sister_ - the daughter of Hakoda, the Southern Water Tribe Chief. What do you think he'll do if he learned you-you -," Sokka couldn't get out the word.

Anyu narrowed his eyes at him, his usual bravado long gone, only to be replaced by something… _cold_. "Oh relax," he said to Sokka. "I didn't kill her. She's just a little wounded. She's probably done there healing her wounds right now. Ow!"

Anyu kicked at an otter-penguin who snapped at his ankle, sending it flying across the square. The shrieks of response from the rest of the horde of penguins was grating. Anyu gritted his teeth and waved his hands across the width of his body, covering the penguins with snow. Some only had their heads sticking out, others were flipped completely over so only the tips of their black, webbed feet could be seen twisting out of the top of the snow.

"_Or_ she could be drowning in there you moron! Help her!" Sokka shouted.

"She's a Waterbender - she can help herself."

Sokka was past caring about staying out of the fight. He could feel his face growing red and wished that he had brought his sword with him tonight. Instead, he waved his boomerang above his head and charged toward a stunned Anyu, screaming at the top of his lungs. He could hear the crunch of Chu's steps behind him, following in his wake.

When Sokka was not three yards away from Anyu, his boomerang raised high with Anyu facing him sideways in a rather unconcerned stance, as if Sokka wasn't worth his time, the world exploded. Sokka felt himself lifted from the ground and pushed backwards, landing on his back in a patch of snow about two feet deep. The ground beneath him was still shaking as he worked himself up onto his elbows. The left side of his body felt tender, probably bruised when he landed and skidded across the ground. Swallowing the melted snow that had somehow made it into his mouth and wiping snow from his hair and from his clothes, he struggled into a sitting position and turned around.

Chu was lying facedown in the snow not far away from him. Scattered about him were jars, leaves, and papers of all shapes and sizes - some of the jars had broken, including one jar that held lattice-wing fly crickets that had taken to the sky and were buzzing all about Chu. Another jar that had held a suspicious greenish-liquid had cracked open so that the substance had begun leaking out. Where the substance hit the snow, it melted, forming a hole that went straight through the ice and to the water beneath it. Chu's hands twitched at his sides as he lifted himself shakily up on his hands. He looked over at Sokka and said, "What happened?"

Sokka was about to ask him the same question when the ground began to shake again. Sokka turned again to see Anyu about thirty yards away, lying on his back, seemingly knocked out. But, as if by an invisible hand, Anyu was up and standing again; Sokka knew that Anyu being knocked out was too good to be true. Sokka watched as Anyu turned about and froze, staring with wide eyes at the center of the square. Sokka followed his stare and gaped.

The pool in the middle of the square was gone, only to be replaced by a gigantic ice pillar that rose twenty feet into the air. It was nearly as wide as the pool once was, if not wider. Its width obscured what lay at the top, so that when Sokka looked up, all he could see was the pillar's smooth edge.

Sokka was still staring when Chu was suddenly at his side, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket with one hand, and trying desperately to hold on to several of his wayward jars with the other. He was surrounded by a bunch of shrieking otter-penguins, some holding onto his pants-legs with their mouths, others riding on his lopsided robe that was trailing on the ground, all of them seeming genuinely alarmed. Chu's face obtained a frenzied look, thin wisps of his hair flying about his face much like the fly-crickets were earlier.

"Sokka, it's-it's… it's supposed to be extinct! I saw it - only in legends, most thought they weren't true… but I saw it! It's up there, at the top! We got to run and warn the others - and your sister… your sister…"

Chu continued to babble, looking half-mad when a jet of frozen water shot from the top of the pillar and made its way directly at Anyu. Quick as the crack of a whip, Anyu darted away from the stream and sent his own series of ice daggers up at the invisible enemy at the top of the pillar. The daggers did not even reach the top, only coming as far as three-quarters before burying themselves into the side of the monolith. The enemy at the top responded by sending a fan-shaped stream of water from an unseen source toward Anyu. Anyu thrust his arms in front of him, parting the stream so that it did not hit his body. Unbeknownst to him, however, the water that he split into two about him, rotated back around his body so that the two streams merged together again and created a rotating ring of water about his waist. Anyu stared at it, confused, and did something strange with his hands that Sokka supposed was meant to move the water from him, but nothing happened. The water continued to flow about him, like the dust rings of distant planets. Before Anyu could do anything about it, another jet of water shot from the top of the pillar toward Anyu. Anyu dodged away from the stream, but then something strange happened. Instead of the water continuing on its planned trajectory, hitting the snow where Anyu was not moments ago, the water turned so that it was coming straight toward Anyu again. Anyu moved away from the water, but again the water moved so that it was following Anyu. Anyu looked briefly at the ring of water still rotating around his waist and understanding hit Anyu and Sokka at the same time. Anyu visibly paled as he evaded the stream of water for the third time.

"I've never seen water follow an opponent like that before," Chu said, his voice shaking. "How is it doing that?"

"I think…" Sokka said slowly. "I think that ring of water around Anyu is a… targeting scope… and the water is following it. As long as it is around Anyu, I think any waterbending sent his way will follow him."

Chu swallowed. "Sokka, we have to _leave_. I know what's up there. This isn't good."

"But, my _sister_…"

Anyu dodged the water and with a burst of intuition, redirected the water stream toward the pillar. The water froze partway toward the pillar into a large ice-spear. But before it hit the pillar, it turned and rotated completely around the pillar so that it came around the other side, heading straight toward Anyu. Anyu twisted away from the spear, so that it hit into the ground. The spear jutted out from the ground, shaking from invisible vibrations, trying desperately to pry itself from the snow. Anyu smiled and moved his arms about his sides so that snow rose on either side of him. Two huge clumps of snow hovered beneath his fingertips that he froze into two giant cannonballs. With that, he thrust the two balls repeatedly into the pillar, so that huge chunks of ice were launched clear off the sides. Once the cannonballs had dwindled away to nothing, Anyu dropped his arms to his sides, panting, and waited for the next move from the enemy at the top.

The pillar was left pockmarked by Anyu's cannonballs, but for a time nothing happened. Taking a breath, Anyu drew more snow from around him and prepared for his second assault on the pillar, when a peculiar ringing sound drew both his and Sokka's attention. Turning toward the sound, Sokka saw the spear thrust into the ground shaking at an unbelievable frequency. And when the ringing reached an intolerable pitch, the spear exploded.

Shards of ice scattered everywhere, but instead of hitting the ground, they floated in midair. There, the ice shards seem to reshape themselves into a thousand tiny spears, only to redirect themselves back at Anyu. When every shard was aimed at Anyu, they rushed him all at once. Anyu was barely able to get his arms up to shield his face when…

"Yield!" said a sharp, clear voice from the top of the pillar.

The shards of ice floated all around Anyu, every single piece of ice only mere centimeters from someplace on Anyu's body. Carefully Anyu dropped his arms, so as not to hit the pieces, to look up toward the voice. Sokka did not need to look however; he knew who it was as soon as she had raised her voice.

"_Yield!_" Katara screamed again, from her place on the edge of the pillar, looking out over Anyu. Her hair had escaped its clasp in the back so that it flew about her face in wild, wavy strands. A bright whitish scar ran from the bottom of her right cheek up to her temple where only minutes ago she had been bleeding. And, oddly enough, Sokka realized she was completely dry.

"Katara!" Sokka shouted at her as he ran toward the pillar, Chu clutching at his arm. "Katara, are you okay?"

Katara ignored him, continuing to stare straight at Anyu, her eyes like shards of ice themselves. Sokka had only seen that expression on Katara once before, when Zuko had joined their group and Katara was sure he meant to harm Aang. Sokka could only imagine what it felt like to have the weight of those two eyes on you.

To Sokka's dismay, however, Anyu stared back defiantly at Katara and shouted, "No!"

Katara frowned, but undiscouraged, she turned and nodded to her side. Something seemed to move behind her, something _huge_, but before Sokka could make out what it was, the ground shifted again beneath his feet. Doing his best to stay standing, Sokka watched as Katara lifted her hands above her and then brought them down in a sharp, crushing-like motion that reminded Sokka less of a move of a Waterbender and more like the harsh, powerful movements of an Earthbender. At once, a huge crack appeared in the pillar that ran nearly the length of its entire height. There was a loud _thump_ing sound that sent shards of ice in all directions, but who or where the sound came from, Sokka was not sure. Katara had straightened herself and stood watching Anyu as the monolith she was standing on began to crumble beneath her. Huge slabs of ice fell from the pillar and landed in the square, some crushing the ground around them so that the water beneath became visible. Sokka backtracked as the pillar crashed about him. Katara, on the other hand, stood as stoic as a slab of ice as the pillar continued to break apart beneath her. Anyu watched her, a mixture of confusion, fear, and defiance in his eyes, the thousand shards of ice evaporating into mist about his body. And just as the ice was about to topple over from beneath Katara's feet, she crouched low and jumped from the pillar…

… only to be caught by a giant fish-bird.

Sokka had no name for it. He stared at it in fascination as it flew - or was it swimming? - around the square, water streaming almost elegantly from its wing-like flippers and feather-like tail. It was about the size of Appa, maybe even bigger, and its body seemed to be painted in many different shades of blue. It had a long neck with a beak and a crown of feathers sprouting from its head. But, unlike a normal bird, its legs seemed to be plastered to its body, the feet itself webbed like those of a turtle-duck's. Chu was shouting something hysterically from behind him, but for the life of him, Sokka had no idea what it was. As the creature twisted and moved about the square, Sokka fell backwards, landing on his rump, his eyes wide and unblinking as he stared up at Katara, who rode on the creature in the small hollow where the creature's neck met its back.

As the creature moved past Anyu, it seemed to screech and dive for him. Anyu covered his face and ducked as a rough, unfinished building at the edge of the square behind him was blasted by a stream of water from one of the creature's wing-flippers. The building dissolved in on itself, crashing in like a house of cards. When Katara and the creature twisted about past the main hall, Sokka watched as Katara stretched out one of her arms to her side and then jerked it up. A geyser shot from the ground below her fingertips and moved toward the main hall… until it sliced right through the middle of it, like a knife through butter. The building collapsed as if it were made of salt. By this point, Anyu was back on his feet and watching the destruction of the buildings in horror.

"What are you doing?!" Anyu shouted. "You're destroying all our work!"

"All of _your_ work," Katara answered back.

Katara and the creature circled back until they were in front of Anyu. They landed in front of him and Katara jumped off the back of the fish-bird. The animal watched Anyu with eyes that seemed to be every shade of blue at once, while Katara marched toward Anyu and stopped in front of him.

"Your snow-then-ice buildings were crudely made and won't last against a rain shower, let alone waterbending attacks."

"They're not _supposed_ to endure waterbending attacks. Who would attack us in times of peace?"

"Exactly what I said when you and the council decided to put up that wall. But, nonetheless, we need buildings that can endure anything."

"They can endure a rain shower!" Anyu countered.

"Are you sure about that?"

Suddenly, rain started to pour all around the square - not rain, a torrent. Sokka did his best to keep his eyes open, but the downpour was so violent that it was difficult to see anything more than a few inches from his face. But one thing was for certain: every building appeared to be dissolving, melting as if they had been blasted with fire instead of water. Sokka gaped and Chu thrashed by his side seeming, to Sokka at least, inconsolable.

"Stop it!" shouted Anyu as he threw a spear of ice toward Katara that was easily deflected with a flick of her wrist.

"Then yield!" Katara said, the rain beginning to lift around them.

"No!"

Sokka watched as Katara gritted her teeth and took a step toward Anyu.

"Then watch," Katara said. "I am not like you. I would never hurt somebody just because I can. But there are ways I can wound you without touching a hair on your head."

"Yeah, and how's that?" Anyu asked, stepping closer to Katara with a grimace that Sokka noticed completely changed his once handsome face. "You can destroy these buildings, but they can be rebuilt and rebuilt better. You know as well as I."

Katara grinned and stepped back so that she was within reach of the enormous waterbending fish-bird, who was still staring at Anyu.

"Watch then, Anyu, as I wound your pride." And in one swift leap, Katara was on the fish-bird and flying, or, more like floating on streams of water, up into the sky.

While Sokka watched awestruck, Chu continued to babble incoherently as the penguins' squawking reach an almost inaudible frequency.

"The stuff of legend everyone used to tell me - never existed, never would. They thought me crazy with my interests in the intricacies of the Waterbenders' past, but the past always has one or two myths that turn out to be true but - oh dear," Chu cut off abruptly, staring straight ahead.

"What is she doing?" Anyu asked, his voice clipped and slightly rising in pitch.

"Oh dear, I think, I think she's -" Chu started.

"_Sokka_," Anyu interrupted, not seeming to hear Chu. "What is she doing?"

"How should I know?" Sokka said shrugging, too engrossed in the movements of the fish-bird to care.

"She's your sister!" Anyu shouted. "You've got to stop her! It looks like she's going to -"

"Stop her from wha-," Sokka started and cut of mid-sentence when he finally registered where Katara and the creature were going: straight North to the almost finished wall.

"Oh," Sokka said.

"Yes, 'oh.' You have to stop her! This is the crowning jewel of our rebuilding efforts and who knows what she's going to do to it!"

"Humm, what makes you think I can stop her?"

"You're her brother!"

"You seem to be really obsessed with our familial relationship," Sokka pointed out. "Also, there are a few things wrong your plan: one, Katara's riding a giant waterbending fish-bird-thing that probably wouldn't be very interested in what I have to say, and two, I don't remember the last time Katara listened to me, so the whole Katara and bird-fish/fish-bird thing stopping cause' I said so idea really isn't much of a plan to bank on… And finally," Sokka turned to look at Anyu. "Who says I _want_ to stop Katara?"

Anyu gave Sokka a brief part-incredulous, part-irritated look before he said something under his breath that sounded like "Southern Water Tribers" and then took off sprinting in the direction of the Wall. Sokka was about to follow after him, to prevent Anyu from interfering, when there was a tug on his pants. Sokka paused and turned around to see three otter-penguins holding onto the ends of his snow-pants with their beaks.

"What the -" Sokka said and then looked up to see Chu staring at him with wide eyes from his gaunt face.

"Sokka," he said. Sokka blinked and was immediately rooted to the spot. Chu had never called him just "Sokka" before. "I know you and Katara have been adamant about tearing down this wall, but have you ever wondered about what the people you are serving think?"

"Of course. They agree with us Chu. I mean, come on, we're all Southern -"

"But Sokka, all of the council, besides you two, think this wall is a good idea -"

"Most of the people on the council are from the North -"

"- including your father," continued Chu. "How well do you really think you are serving your people? Have you ever thought of asking them directly, instead of making decisions that you think are best? How does that make you any different from the old ways of the Fire Nation?"

Sokka stared at Chu, aghast. He hadn't stuttered or fumbled once in his speech and he was standing as straight as he had ever seen him. In that one instant, Sokka realized he had seriously underestimated Chu. Then, as quickly as Chu's resolve came, it evaporated in the next instant. Soon Chu was hunched over again with a bashful look on his small face.

"Of-of course, what do I know? I'm, I'm just an advisor right?" he stammered, rubbing his head. Sokka strode up to Chu and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"No, Chu, you're right. Katara and I, no, we really had not thought of what others might think of the wall. I'll get through to Katara - I'll figure out something."

Just then, an earsplitting _boom_ punctured the night air. The ground shook as both Sokka and Chu spun to see a giant crack in the wall. Fissures sprouted from the crack, causing blocks of ice, snow, and mist to rain down on the frozen tundra below. Sokka's mouth dropped as he watched both Katara and the creature slash at the wall with savage streams of water. The whole wall trembled with the force of the water and Sokka could only imagine what the noise was causing in the minds of the sleeping people of the Southern Water Tribe.

Without thinking, Sokka began running with as much force as his legs could carry him. Chu remained behind, hunched forward, mouth agape, and his flock of penguins screeching at his feet. Sokka ran past tented homes, businesses, and wide squares. Already people were running out of their homes and staring at the spectacle taking place at the wall. Some just stood outside, as amazed by the whole situation as Chu; others took one look and began running in the opposite direction for fear of the gigantic water-bird-fish-thing; still others (mostly Waterbenders) started racing straight toward the wall, prepared to fight. And Sokka, as "junior ambassador," had no idea what he was running toward and what exactly he would do when he got there.

_I'm running to the wall, _he told himself. _And I'm going to stop Katara from destroying it_. The thought sounded nice, but how to put it into action was a whole other thing.

Three-fourths of the way to the wall, the _boom_ing of its collapse still ricocheting off the night air, Sokka ran into Anyu, his knees in the snow, eyes glued to the crumbling wall.

"My wall," he was saying, almost like he was singing a ballad. "My beautiful wall, ruined - nothing can fix it now - my life's work, all gone… all gone…"

"C'mon, your life's barely even begun," Sokka said as he ran past. Anyu merely shook his head and Sokka could see tears around the edges of his eyes.

_Wow_, Sokka thought. _He _is _self-absorbed._

The wall was now within screaming distance. So Sokka, along with others who had decided to follow him, began shouting.

"Katara! Katara, stop!"

Sokka entered into the wide area between the rows of coastal homes and the foot of the wall. The area, once flat and smooth, was now almost completely filled with an enormous pile of snow. Despite the shouts of Sokka and the people behind him, Katara and the water-bird continued their efforts on the greatly diminished wall. In fact, Sokka couldn't help noticing, their efforts to topple it only seemed to increase.

_It's no use_, Sokka realized. He was never going to get a hold of Katara like this. She was too focused on what she was doing, and all the shouting was, probably, only intensifying her determination. Sokka turned and examined his surroundings. Minus the giant bird and crumbling wall, there were the homes behind him, the space in front of him, the Waterbender platform to the right, the canal gate to the -

The Waterbender platform! It was a platform made entirely of ice steps that criss-crossed up to the top of the wall, giving the Waterbenders easier access to the top as well as non-benders. If he could get to the top, maybe he could get Katara's attention.

He reached the first step of the stairwell and almost fell face forward, catching himself at the last second.

"Of course, of course," Sokka couldn't help saying aloud. "An ice platform - what could be more practical than that?" Then, to the best of his ability, he ran up the stairwell, two steps at a time, until he was level with the top of the wall, or, rather, what remained of the wall. The sound of the deteriorating wall was deafening, but Sokka did not put his hands to his ears for he was too busy clutching the railing to balance himself on the increasingly unsteady platform. Katara and the creature were methodically making their way toward Sokka's platform, neither of them noticing his presence, despite his shouting. Their ignorance continued, even when the creature began to dismantle the Waterbender platform from the bottom-up and Sokka began to sway backwards with the scaffolding.

"Katara!" Sokka screamed and, in a last-ditch effort, threw his boomerang at Katara on top of the fish-bird. As Sokka began tumbling backwards, the boomerang hit Katara's shoulder and she spun, only to find Sokka falling.

"Sokka!" she screamed, reaching out with a plume of water heading in Sokka's direction. At Katara's outcry, the creature stopped its onslaught on the wall and, in one deft move, caught Sokka in its talon-webbed foot before Katara's stream of water reached him.

When Sokka finally regained his composure, he exhaled and exclaimed, "Well, that took you long enough."

"Sokka, what are you doing here?" Katara said.

"I should be asking you the same question," Sokka replied, and then shook his head. "Well this just seems like déjà vu – didn't we say the same things to each other one night a week ago?"

Katara ignored him. "I think it should be obvious. I'm finally getting rid of this stupid wall," Katara declared.

Sokka gave her a sour look. "Yes, that is obvious."

"Then why are you asking why I'm here? Don't you want to get rid of this wall? I thought that was what we both wanted, but I guess your opinion has changed, considering you've been avoiding me all this time."

"Katara, I haven't been avoiding you - well, not for the reasons you think I was avoiding you, but I'll explain that later. And I _do_ want this wall down, just as much as you do, but Katara, don't you see all those people down there?"

Katara did not so much as take her eyes off of Sokka. "What about them?"

"Have you even considered what they want? Not everyone here is from the Northern Water Tribe. There are probably still plenty of our own tribespeople who might actually want this wall, people who actually _want _to change. And maybe it's just the two of us who are too stubborn to."

Katara opened her mouth as if to reply, but then seemed to hesitate. Sokka continued, as the creature watched Sokka in its foot with two enormous blue eyes.

"Katara, we've been to all the Morning Meetings, and every time we were the only ones fighting this wall. Perhaps we need to listen to the others; maybe this _is_ for the best and we just can't see it. Maybe we should ask what everyone else wants, here and now, before we make decisions for them, like Fire Lord Ozai."

That struck a chord. Katara's eyes widened and she started, "I would never -" before cutting herself off. She turned away from Sokka, and then said quietly after a few moments, "Lower us down."

Sokka felt his stomach fly up into his chest as the bird-fish lowered its webbed-claw to the ground. When Sokka finally had his two feet planted back on the firm snow, he quickly shook off the adrenaline in his body and watched Katara slide off the creature. At this point, the crowd surrounding the now ravaged wall was uncountable. Faces, some angry, some disbelieving, and some indifferent, stared at the wall; others were distracted by the massive, indescribable creature before them to even care about the wall. One thing above all others, however, was the most conspicuous: the almost complete silence among the crowd, except for the occasional tentative murmurings or whispers - a silence that was uncanny for a group of this size. Everyone seemed to be waiting either for an explanation from someone, or else was too afraid to make a sound in front of the creature. Perhaps it was a mix of both. Eventually the quiet was broken with a slightly choked yet obvious voice of authority from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Sokka's hair bristled on the back of his neck.

"Sokka, Katara, what's going on here? And what-what is _that_?"

Hakoda stepped forward, the people parting away from his advance. He deliberately looked at Sokka, his eyes never once moving toward the fish-bird. After what seemed like a long while, Sokka eventually opened his mouth to address his father as well as the crowd, when Katara said, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "It's my fault."

Hakoda's head turned to look at Katara. "What?"

"It's my fault," Katara said, loud enough so that everyone could hear. After a short pause, Katara seemed to find her resolve and she said to the crowd, her fists clenched at her side, "I'm sorry everyone. It is my fault that this wall, that many of you worked so hard to build, is now, well, pretty much in ruins."

"Well, obviously!" shouted a woman in the back of the crowd, who seemed to have worked up her courage and was now shaking her fist in Katara's direction. "Do you have any idea what you've done? This was to be the wall to protect our city, a city that was almost overtaken by the Fire Nation, and now you, you and that _thing_, have destroyed what was going to be our great future!"

Katara hung her head and listened patiently to the woman's grievance, and when there were several nods and murmurs of agreement, she took a deep breath and replied, "You're right. You're right that that _was_ going to be our future. Putting up that wall was going to be a sign to the rest of the world that the Southern Water Tribe was now a force to be reckoned with. It was to be a sign of our strength, our defense, but also a sign of our fear. Everyone, putting up this wall only illustrates to others how afraid of the outside world we are and it only enforces our own isolation on the tip of the Southern Hemisphere. The Hundred Years War is over and the Fire Nation is no longer a people to fear or despise - the Avatar assured us of that with the demise of Fire Lord Ozai and the ascent to the throne of one of his closest and most trusted friends, Fire Lord Zuko. So, I ask you, what now must we keep out of the Southern Water Tribe? What now do we have left to fear?"

No one answered, only stared at Katara with wide eyes.

"We are a people of change, for our element, water, is always changing with the moon and the tides. And so when the rest of the world is ready for change, to return once again to a time of peace, we decide to hold onto our wartime anxieties? Moreover, when did we, the _Southern_ Water Tribe, decide that our city should be just as large and defensible as that of our Northern counterpart? The Southern Water Tribe was created years and years ago independently of the North because we had morals, ideas, and traditions outside their scope. And, yes, no matter how the same we all are on the inside, we are also unique. Do we really want to depend on the North for guidance and innovation or are we are own people who can make decisions for themselves?"

Sokka bit his lip. Was this really something Katara should be telling others? Of course Katara and he had talked about everything she was saying, things they had only mentioned when they were alone. But now it was out in the open. Sokka examined the crowd and their faces ranged from indignant and outraged to keen and interested.

"And so," Katara continued. "Because my brother and I were of this mindset, because we thought we knew what the Southern Water Tribe really wanted, knew what kind of people we were, we fought tooth and nail during our council meetings against this wall, despite everyone saying that this was for the best. And because I refused to listen to them, because I thought _I _knew what was best, I came here to get rid of this wall once and for all. But, as my brother so rightly put it, how does taking matters into my own hands make me any different from the Fire Nation of old? Thinking I was doing what was best and what everyone wanted, I failed to even ask what you actually wanted. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I destroyed everyone's hard work and, most of all, I'm sorry I didn't ask what you wanted. I understand that I have made a horrible mistake and I am willing to make it right based on you all. If you do want this wall, please know I will personally help alongside all the other builders to fix it and even make it better than before. The choice is yours, the people's, and always will be. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize this."

It was silent for a long time as the crowd absorbed Katara's words. It was silent so long that Sokka felt himself sweat with the awkwardness of the situation, despite the cold. Katara's eyes scanned the crowd but as the silence lingered, her eyes lowered, followed by her head. And just before Katara was about to walk away, the fish-bird watching her movements with keen blue eyes, there was a clap from someone in the audience. Katara's head bolted upward as the clapping continued and a white-haired individual appeared before them, right next to a slightly gaping Hakoda.

"Well done Katara, and well done Sokka," said Pakku. "You are now full-fledged Southern Water Tribe ambassadors."

"What?" Sokka and Katara said simultaneously.

"You've finally demonstrated to Hakoda and I that both of you are well qualified enough to represent the Water Tribe throughout the world," he said with a satisfied grin.

"I can't believe it," Hakoda finally managed.

"Wait," Katara interjected. "How does any of this prove we are good ambassadors? I almost completely destroyed a wall we all worked so hard to build, and Sokka just sent a ton of otter-penguins loose in the plaza."

"I did not! That was Chu," Sokka said, but both Katara and Pakku ignored him.

"This is true. Both of you demonstrated great leadership and initiative, not only during our council meetings, but outside them as well. Both of you knew what you wanted and knew that you would do anything to get it. But, then again, your father and I always knew you were leaders - what we didn't know was how you would react when you failed, when you made a mistake, and how well you would follow orders."

Sokka and Katara exchanged looks.

"Sokka, you illustrated true forethought and responsibility when you told your sister that you both do not represent your wishes, but the wishes of the entire tribe and that, even when we might disagree with something, oftentimes we are forced to do things that the group decides on. And Katara, in spite of your mistake, instead of continuing on with your original plan, you decided to admit what you had done wrong and promised to fix it. Both of these incidences, more than anything I've seen from you two, are the mark of true leaders, for it is not in the face of victory true leadership is shown, but in the face of failure."

Pakku walked closer to the two of them but maintained a wary distance from the creature. Then, in a voice only they could hear, he said, "Ambassadors will be facing failure every day. Your hardships will no longer be of survival, but of persuasion. As you represent our tribe in the world, you will cross people, perhaps even whole nations, who disagree with you and believe that you are wrong. You may believe totally in one thing while others believe in another. Your jobs are not to shove others aside when you think they are wrong, but to _listen_ to what they have to say, perhaps work to compromise or persuade. And, who knows, maybe you'll realize your initial idea was not as great as you thought. That is the nature of an ambassador: that you represent our nation to the best of your abilities while also adapting to a changing world. I did not see a better test of your abilities to admit failure until today with this wall, and I don't think I'll need a whole year to name you full ambassadors. You have passed the test."

"Wait," Sokka said, finally finding his voice. "Did you know this would happen? I mean, did you know Katara and I would want to destroy this wall from the very beginning but would change our minds about it later?"

"Well, I didn't really think you would come out here with a giant aqua-bird and rip the wall apart one sheet of ice at a time."

"An 'aqua-bird'?" Katara said. "Is that what -"

"What?" Sokka interrupted. "You planned this the whole time?"

Pakku ignored both of them and turned to face the people.

"Sokka and Katara are now your Southern Water Tribe ambassadors!"

At this, a few people clapped, but most continued to stare. Sokka, on the other hand, only continued to sweat.

"And, as Katara pointed out, we have not decided as a people about the construction of this wall. All in favor, raise your hand _high_ please."

To Sokka's dismay, a considerable amount of people raised their hands, but he could not tell if it was less than half of the crowd or more.

"And, all against?" Pakku asked.

"Wait," said a voice in the crowd.

Katara stared at the speaker, eyes wide. "Darra?"

Darra nodded but did not look at her; instead, she addressed Pakku. "I was of the opinion, not moments before, that this wall was a good thing - that with it, we would not be as vulnerable as before. After all, it was because of the absence of such a wall that made us like sitting turtle-ducks for the Fire Nation during the war. I do not want to be reminded of how defenseless we were when, years ago, the Fire Nation walked across our shores and stole every one of our Waterbenders and split up our families… Yet, even then, in the face of all that, the Southern Water Tribe lived on, and lived on long enough to give us people like Sokka and Katara. They have seen the world - how many of us have traveled outside this city, let alone our nation? They know things that we do not, and therefore, I trust in Katara and Sokka that this wall must go, that it was never a part of the Southern Water Tribe and never should be."

We she finished, she raised her hand high as a vote against the wall. And, as if by some non-verbal agreement, Sokka and Katara both nodded toward Darra in wordless thanks for her support.

Then, somewhere else in the crowd, a male voice said, "I second that," and raised his hand. Another called, "And me," and raised his hand as well. Soon, several hands were in the air, perhaps just as much or more than the people for the wall. His spirits lifting, Sokka turned toward Pakku, who was frowning.

"It's a dead tie," Pakku said. "Chief Hakoda, I noticed you did not vote."

Hakoda nodded. "As Chief, I'm not sure if it's right for me to make the final decision."

Pakku snorted. "As Chief, I think it is your every right. Yes, you must do the wishes of your people, just as your children, but you must also lead." Pakku rolled his eyes. "When did I suddenly become this family's counselor?" Sokka wondered this too until he saw a smiling Gran Gran near the front of the group.

Hakoda visibly struggled with this. With a grimace, he said, "It seems that I have no choice."

Sokka and Katara held their breath.

"But given the fact that the wall is already partly demolished, we might as well destroy the rest of it."

"Yay!" Sokka and Katara said at once, giving each other high-fives. The crowd did not seem to share in their exuberance, so they settled down quickly.

Hakoda cleared his throat and said, "Katara, I'm sure your, uh, your -"

"Aqua-bird," Pakku supplied.

"Yes, aqua-bird, could help us with this?"

Katara smiled and, with a nod toward the creature, it spun on its webbed-feet and seemed to cut through the rest of the wall with its feather-like tail. As people coughed and swatted the mist from their eyes, Sokka and Hakoda stared, mouths agape at the emptiness and the vast shoreline where once the wall had stood. Pakku only grinned.

"And you know about these, things?" Hakoda asked Pakku.

"Only what I've heard in legends. They're turning out to be even truer than I thought."

Shaking his head in disbelief, Hakoda turned to Katara. "What are you wearing?"

Katara blinked and looked down at their mother's once beautiful clothes, now torn and bloodied slightly, the heels of her boots gone.

Sokka answered for her. "Uh, mom's clothes."

"Why?"

Katara sighed and said, "It's a long story."

"Well, tell me, starting from where you found, your, uh, friend."

"Blue," Katara said. The large blue eyes of the aqua-bird blinked as it lowered its head to Katara's level and looked on at Sokka, Hakoda, and Pakku. "Her name is Blue."

"Well, nice to meet you, Blue," Hakoda said, smiling.

Blue responded by blinking once.

"My wall!" came a shout in the distance. "My beautiful wall!" The shout was followed by a pathetic sounding wail.

Hakoda and Pakku looked at each other and raised their eyebrows. Sokka turned his head to Katara, who was already smiling at him, and laughed. She laughed too, followed by Hakoda and Pakku, and even the rest of the crowd because, no matter if they were for or against the wall, the sound of Anyu's pitiful sobs was too much for even his mother to not crack a smile.

* * *

Katara and Sokka stood side by side on the dock, the ocean's waves lapping at the frozen poles in the water, each holding a small knapsack of belongings by their sides. Neither of them knew what to pack because they didn't know exactly where they were going. Their father had chosen to tell them the day they left so that they wouldn't be distracted during their final week home before they were again traveling abroad. It still hadn't stopped them from guessing.

"Maybe it's to the Fire Nation," Sokka suggested. "Zuko might need our advice while he gets his country back under control. Dad still gets reports of minor outbreaks across the islands - people still don't believe the war is over."

Katara shook her head. She knew better. Handling the riots around the Fire Nation was the job of the Fire Lord and she knew that the advice of Water Tribesmen was not going to be very helpful to Zuko who understood his people better than Sokka and she did.

"No, I don't think so," Katara said. "I think we're going to be going somewhere more remote or unknown - someplace where they need our advice in the rebuilding effort or maybe ask for the help of the Southern Water Tribe in matters of state."

Sokka gave a dramatic sigh. "Ugh, maybe this job isn't what I thought it'd be."

Katara nodded but smiled. "Maybe not, but at least we'll know we're doing something to change the world. We'll be helping it become a better place one day at a time."

Sokka looked thoughtful. "You're right of course. Still doesn't explain why dad wouldn't tell us where we're going, nor why there's no boat waiting for us here."

At this, Katara just shrugged.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the form of their father appeared in the distance, followed by an especially hunched Chu today. Hakoda was nodding while Chu, with pen and pad in hand, was stuttering something to him in his ear. Eventually Hakoda waved his hand, cutting Chu off mid-sentence, when he was within earshot of Katara and Sokka.

"Kids," he said, smiling. "I really can't believe how much you've grown and that again we are going to be separated after only a few weeks."

"It won't be forever Dad," Sokka said. "We'll be home again soon."

Hakoda nodded. "Yes, you're right. It won't be forever, and you're going to be sent where representation of the Southern Water Tribe is needed urgently."

"We're ready to go," Katara said, "But where's our boat?"

Hakoda grinned. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet, given she's been so helpful these past couple days in fixing up the town. Blue will be your guide."

Sokka's mouth dropped. "Blue? But, she needs water - she can't get us anywhere without water!"

Hakoda looked at him. "A _boat_ can't get your anywhere without water. And besides, Blue will be much faster; she literally flies on water, as she showed us earlier this week with Katara. But I don't want anyone questioning her existence right now, so as soon as you get to your destination, Blue should come right back. According to Pakku, aqua-birds are pretty much the stuff of fairytales and myths, thought to be extinct like the dragons and sky bison. Pakku doesn't want anyone knowing about them and putting their lives, if they ever were, in jeopardy once again."

"We understand Dad, but I don't think we can get Blue to do anything she doesn't want to. You have no idea whether she'll even take us to wherever were going in the first place," Katara said.

"Yes, I doubt she'll listen to us. But I'm sure she'll listen to you," Hakoda said, nodding to something behind them.

Katara turned to once again see Blue's giant eyes in front of her face. How long Blue had been floating in the water by the dock watching them, she had no idea. Katara smiled, and then asked Blue directly. "Whaddya say Blue? Would you take us to where we need to go?"

To this, Blue just blinked her eyes.

"I think that's a 'yes,'" Katara said laughing and laying her hand on Blue's beak.

"Then it's settled. You'll be traveling to Asa Aki where you'll assist Captain Kitan in representing the Southern Water Tribe."

Katara and Sokka's eyes lightened.

"Wait, Asa Aki? Isn't that, isn't that where Aang is?" Katara asked.

"Yes. We've just received news that discussions on who owns the territory is getting more heated, and despite orders I've sent Kitan, he is still adamant in trying to keep Asa Aki a Water Tribe port or perhaps even a colony. He thinks that the Water Tribe needs more space, more territory, instead of our 'wasteland,' as he put it, in the south."

"Kitan said this?" Sokka said, stunned.

"War changes people Sokka. He's not the same guy who made jokes at the dinner table when he came to visit before all of us left for the war. He's much more serious, and, I'm afraid, still afraid of a nonexistent war. Your jobs are to convince him that Asa Aki is not in the Southern Water Tribe's best interest. And, between you and me, more importantly, you must help the Avatar make the right decision."

Katara and Sokka exchanged looks. "What do you mean? What's wrong with Aang?" Katara asked.

Hakoda sighed. "Kitan only talked about Aang fleetingly in his update, as if the Avatar was not worth his time in all this debate. From what I could gather, though, Aang seems to be having a difficult time trying to get each representative to see eye-to-eye. Perhaps it's time you helped your friend, for I think Aang's power lies in the aides and in the hearts of his friends."

Both Katara and Sokka nodded, saying, "We'll be there."

"Good. Goodbye Sokka. Goodbye Katara. And good luck," Hakoda said, leaning in to give them one last hug. Immediately, Katara jumped onto the back of Blue's neck, ready to leave, but Sokka hung back, staring. Katara followed his gaze to Chu, who was standing behind and to the side of her father, looking uncomfortable. She couldn't believe she had forgotten about Chu so quickly; he had obviously mastered, during his time in the Northern Water Tribe, the skill of being unheard and unseen. But that did not stop Sokka from walking directly up to Chu and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Dad, before we go, I do have one last thing to ask you," said Sokka.

Hakoda raised his eyebrows. "And what's that?"

"That Chu be head of the entire rebuilding project in Katara's and my stead."

The expression on Chu's face then was indescribable. Katara watched in fascination as Chu's face seemed to squeeze in on itself, looking like something between a raisin being squished and like someone battling some unseen force attempting to implode your body. Eventually Chu was able to squeak through pinched, shocked lips, "M-m-m-_me_?"

"Yes, _you_," Sokka said before turning back to Hakoda. "Chu has given me infallible advice and guidance throughout my return home, and I think, just as it was deserving of Anyu to become one of the work crew, it is deserving of Chu to become the one who runs it. I know he doubts himself greatly, which is probably from him being a scribe and steward for so long, but he shouldn't. He is a leader and knows a ton. He'll definitely be a great addition - his talents are wasted doing what he's doing now."

Chu, at this point, was a complete wreck, his face so scrunched and tearing that he couldn't say a thing, either in protest or thanks. Meanwhile, Hakoda seemed to be thinking it over.

"Well, I did really appreciate his services as my assistant, but if you think that is where he truly belongs…"

"I do," Sokka said.

"Then, Chu, you are hereby head of the rebuilding crew. I'm certain they are in desperate need of your help down in the plaza. You should probably be off there right now."

Eventually, with visible effort, Chu straightened himself, one or two jars of herbs tumbling from his jacket into the snow. He clasped Sokka's hand and shook it.

"Oh, thank you Prince Sokka! Thank you! I will do my upmost - I will do better than that! I will do the best that I can do!" Chu declared.

"You do that Chu," Sokka said. "You should probably go help them out now. They need you."

"Yes, yes they do! And I will get them into shape, I will! I'll make the best looking city you'll ever see!" And with that, Chu gathered his fallen jars, gave a quick and unsteady bow in Hakoda's direction, and ran from the dock back toward the city.

Sokka grinned and jumped up behind Katara onto Blue, shouting, "Yip yip!"

Katara gave Sokka a look. "I don't think that's how Blue works."

Sokka shrugged. "Old habits die hard."

Katara patted the slick yet feathery neck of Blue. "Blue, off to Asa Aki!"

There was a rumble as water swelled over the dock. Hakoda stumbled backward into the snow as the water coalesced beneath Blue, raising her higher and higher into the air. Lifting her wings on either side of her, she gathered the water to her tips and, like their father had said before, she "flew" on it. As she went higher in the air and further toward sea, water seemed to come from unknown places - the ocean, the clouds, the very air - for Blue to flap and glide effortlessly along. Katara could only describe it as riding upon a flying ship.

Katara and Sokka turned to give one last farewell wave to their father who was waving back from shore and quickly becoming a mere dot the further they went. Katara's heart soared when she looked back in front of her at the sea below and the clouds above, the sun offering a dim light in the distance. She was leaving home again, only to be embarking on another adventure, her life once again changing before her eyes.

"So we're going to get Aang outta another sticky situation," Sokka said to Katara, his voice louder in order to be heard over the wind rushing past their faces.

"I guess so," Katara said back.

"Well, it's about time!"

Katara grinned.

_Don't worry Aang, we're coming. We'll be home again with you soon._

* * *

_**Author's Note**__: Omg it's finally done. *headdesk* I am so sorry for all of you who are actually invested in this story - probably nobody now since I take ages to update. I could go into excuses now, saying how I have school, work, family and friends that keep me occupied and away from writing, which in part is true. But I think the real reason is that I'm a huge procrastinator and only write when I feel "in the mood." This is not a way to live as a writer; these moments come rarely and last only so long. I've really had to force myself to get back to this story and at least finish this chapter. As you can probably tell, I think another reason writing this was so difficult was that I wasn't quite sure entirely what was going to happen in this chapter, and, moreover, I knew it was going to be looong. In fact, I think this is the longest single piece of writing I've ever done – so long that I even considered splitting this up into two episodes, but decided to get the whole story over and done with since it's taken me this long to update anyway. This is not deserving of a medal, however. I'm convinced this could have been shorter, if I'd taken the time to figure out my thoughts more cohesively. What do you guys think? Have any suggestions, or do you like it the way it is? _

_I'll be perfectly honest now: I'm not sure when I'll be updating in the near future. My outline for the next chapter seems to be way more fun and shorter. However, again, finding the time to work on it is going to be difficult. We'll see how it goes. I hope it won't take me two years to update again though - The Legend of Korra has already come and gone and this was supposed to be entertainment for Avatar's hiatus. Ah well. _

_Thanks again for taking the time to read this fanfiction. Comments I find encouraging and helpful as an aspiring writer; please, whether good or bad, I appreciate feedback and critiques._

_Yours,_

_- Kin (myoathkeeper)_


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